ATTENDANCE MATTERS
Good attendance promotes academic success. It is very important for you to make sure your child is in school every day on time and ready to learn. Tardiness results in the loss of academic instruction for the student.
Research has shown that there is a significant link between attendance and achievement
Please send your child to school every day on time.
Our school day for grades Pre-K-5 is 8:15 - 2:45p.m.
Students arriving after 8:30 will need to sign-in at the front office and get a tardy slip before going to class or breakfast
Students are not to be dropped off before 7:50 a.m. - please note that there is no student supervision prior to this time.
If your child is absent, please call by 8:30 a.m.
24 hour Attendance Line 612-668-2575
Absences are to be called in daily -- pleas give us your child’s name, teacher, grade and the reason for absence.
When your child returns to school after an absence or arrives late: Please send a note explaining the absence or tardy and that you are aware of the absences or tardiness
State Law Dictates our Attendance Policy
By law, all children between the ages of 5 and 18 must go to school. Our goal in Minneapolis Public Schools is to have 95% attendance.
95% attendance means 8 or fewer unexcused absences during the school year.
Your help is needed: please be sure to notify the front office if you get a new phone number and/or change of address.
Reasons for Excused Absences
Illness: school staff may request a health care provider’s verification for absences if longer than three consecutive days or more than four absences due to illness, or illness of a dependent in a semester.
Religious observance/instruction or recognized cultural observance: please notify the attendance line
Funeral or other family emergency: up to three days
Family activity: A student can have up to five days within one school year - please arrange this in advance. Any additional time must be discussed with the classroom teacher to ensure the student’s academic success.
Appointments: Health care providers, other professionals, court appearances, etc.
There are many support services available to help you and your child with issues that may be affecting their attendance. Please feel free to call our 24 - Hour Absence Hotline at (612) 668-2575.
Attendance Procedure
A student is marked absent/excused when the school receives a phone call or note verifying an absence for an excusable reason.
A student is marked absent/unexcused if parent/guardians cannot be contacted or the reason given is not excused.
At 9:30 a.m. an automated phone call will be made to families of students that are unaccounted for (students that are absent and families have not called in to verify the absence).
The school has procedures for recording tardy minutes.
Absence Communications To Parents
3 Unexcused Absences = Formal Letter
6 Unexcused Absences = Parent Group Meeting Referral
9 Unexcused Absences = Star Referral (County Involvement)