Frequently Asked Attendance Questions

If your child will be absent, please notify your school’s attendance office before the start of the school day. You can do this by creating an Absence Request in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal or by calling the school attendance office. If we do not hear from you, the school will reach out to confirm your student’s safety and ensure you are aware of their absence.

Important note: In the Attendance section of the Infinite Campus Parent Portal, you will see your child's total number of excused and unexcused absences.

Certain absences are exempt from the above process so you will want to include information about your child’s absence when talking with the school.

Specifically, the following absence types will not count towards student absenteeism and will be coded as excused in Infinite Campus:

The following absence types will not count towards student absenteeism and will be coded as excused in Infinite Campus: 

1. Absences related to illness or medical appointment

a. After a student reaches the equivalent of eight (8) days of excused absences, parents will be required to provide documentation for medical absences to be excused.  

b. Families are encouraged to provide documentation for ongoing health concerns to the school so that we can proactively work with your family to best serve your student

2. Absences related to a family medical emergency

3. Absences while attending religious services or receiving religious instruction

a. Religious services may include but are not limited to holiday services, weddings, funerals or other celebrations of life, and other rite of passage religious services.

b. For religious instruction:

• A parent must submit a notification informing the school that the child will be attending religious instruction during the day, indicating the days and times that the student will be absent.
• The student cannot be absent for more than 5 hours a week for religious instruction.
• The organization providing religious instruction must maintain attendance records and provide to the school upon request
• The student must make up any school work not completed while attending religious instruction.

4. Absences excused for sufficient reason by any court of record or judge

5. Absences related to an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that affects attendance

6. Absences related to a Section 504 plan under the Federal Rehabilitation Act that affects attendance

7. Absences related to military service, military entrance processing

8. Absences related to reasonable travel time for attendance at a wedding or funeral as determined by the building administrator based on the travel distance.

Any absence that does not fall into one of the above categories, will appear as unexcused in Infinite Campus and per State law, will count toward student absenteeism.

While we encourage families to schedule appointments outside the school day, we understand it’s not always possible. Excused medical appointments include doctor, dental, psychiatric, chiropractic, optometric, mental and behavioral health, or other valid medical appointments. After a student has 8 days of excused absences, a note from a licensed practitioner is required to excuse additional medical absences.

If a school official determines the child must go home for a legitimate medical reason, no additional documentation is required to excuse this absence.

The Iowa Department of Education has guidance that districts must follow to address absenteeism. In compliance with State Law, schools will send notifications to guardians when a student has a certain number of unexcused absences in each grading period:

Process for addressing absenteeism:

• Schools will send notifications to guardians when a student has reached the 5%, 10%, and 15% absenteeism threshold for the grading period (See chart above).
  • Notifications are sent when a student has accumulated the number of absences that will result in the percentage of unexcused absenteeism at the end of the grading period. For example, if an elementary student has missed 6 unexcused days of school in a term, the student will be at 10% absenteeism at the end of the grading period, so the 10% notification is sent after the 6th day is missed.
• State law requires a certified letter to be sent when a student has reached 10% unexcused absenteeism in a grading period. In addition, the school is required by law to notify the county attorney.
• When a student reaches 15% unexcused absenteeism in a grading period, a School Engagement meeting is required by Iowa law. An Absenteeism Prevention Plan will be created at the School Engagement meeting. The goal of this plan is to work together to resolve absenteeism, address attendance barriers, and assist the student in attending school.
• If the student and/or the student’s guardian fails to attend a School Engagement Meeting, fails to enter into an Absenteeism Prevention Plan, or does not meet the terms of the Absenteeism Prevention Plan, Iowa law provides that the county attorney may initiate a legal proceeding if the school determines that the student's absences are negatively affecting academic progress.

Documentation from a licensed practitioner (not related to the student) is required. Such documentation must be in writing, state the time period for which it is valid, and not exceed 30 days.

Yes, the 8 absences include all excused absences, with or without documentation. Going forward, a note from a licensed practitioner will be required to approve medical absences.

The State of Iowa has determined acceptable reasons for students to be absent from school. We understand that students will be absent for other reasons, such as family activities, vacations, etc. While these absences are not excused, there is an allowance for unexcused absences before any action is taken. Please refer to the chart under “What is the law around school attendance” for the number of absences allowed. This chart is located on our School Attendance webpage.

A court appearance, placement, or other legal procedure requires the student to attend.

The school determines this based on the connection between the student’s absence and the student’s IEP or 504 plan. For additional guidance, contact your student’s special education teacher or the 504 coordinator at the school.

A medical emergency, such as a family member in Hospice Care, the death of a family member, or emergency surgery for a family member, would count as excused absences in this category. "Family member" includes parent, foster parent, domestic partner of parent, step-parent, brother, sister, foster brother, step-brother, foster sister, step-sister, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, first cousin, child, legal ward, grandmother, grandfather, or great relative in any of the above-mentioned categories.

Absences for out-of-school suspensions are considered unexcused per state guidelines. Suspensions in school are excused.

The purpose of the school engagement meeting is to identify the student’s barriers to attendance and possible interventions to improve attendance. The student, the student’s guardian, and a school official must participate. Student and Family advocates will be invited to provide support and connect the families to resources if necessary.

State law requires us to send weekly attendance updates through the end of the school year for any student who has been absent for 15% or more of any grading period, even if attendance has improved. If attendance has improved, please use these emails to celebrate your student’s continued success.

When developing attendance plans with families or making referrals to the County Attorney, school officials will consider these unique circumstances and make recommendations accordingly.

When missing school, your student should check in and/or out at the attendance office. When students properly check in and out, only the time missed will be added to the absence total.

If your child is participating in school-sponsored activities such as field trips, work experiences or job shadowing facilitated by the school, traveling with a school group/team as a member of the group/team, etc., your child will be considered present at school.

Students are excused while attending religious services or receiving religious instruction. 

Religious services may include but are not limited to holiday services, weddings, funerals or other celebrations of life, and other rite of passage religious services.

For religious instruction, per Iowa law:

• a parent must submit a notification informing the school that the child will be attending religious instruction during the day.

• A child cannot be absent for more than 5 hours a week.

• The school may request attendance records from the organization providing religious instruction.

• The child must agree to make up any school work not completed while attending religious instruction.