Policy 503-R Compulsory Attendance Regulations

Regular attendance is consistent with the provisions of the compulsory school attendance law. It is expected that students and their parents will abide by the provisions of that law. Parents/guardians are to notify the school on or before the day of absence.
    
A. Excused Absences:

1. Illness
2. Serious illness in the student’s immediate family
3. Funerals
4. Religious instruction not to exceed three hours a week
5. Catastrophes, such as fire
6. Official school field trip or other school-sponsored outing
7. Pre-approved vacations or family trips
8. Medical and dental appointments scheduled during the school day
9. Religious holidays
10. Suspensions
11. Court appearances
12. A student’s condition that requires ongoing treatment for a mental health diagnosis

B. Unexcused Absences: An unexcused absence is an absence that does not meet the above criteria. These absences may occur with or without the knowledge of the student’s parent or guardian. 

C. Tardy: Students are expected to be in their assigned area at designated times. Failure to do so constitutes tardiness. 

1. Elementary - At the elementary level, a student is tardy if he/she is not at school at the official start time or leaves early before the official end time. Five (5) unexcused tardies may constitute one unexcused absence. Students that have an excessive number of tardies may also be considered as truant. 

2. Secondary - At the secondary level, tardiness between periods will be handled in accordance with procedures developed at the site level.

D. Excessive Excused Absences: Parent-approved absences that are excessive and/or interfere with the student's educational program may be interpreted as truancy and follow-up procedures may be implemented. As a general guideline, 10 excused absences in a school year will be viewed as excessive. Parents/guardians need to be aware that if students are absent 15 or more consecutive days, students must be withdrawn from school. 

E. Truancy: Any student who is absent from school without permission or without a valid reason is considered truant. Habitual truants will be referred for intervention.
 

Parents will be notified of their child’s attendance according to the schedule below in accordance with the Hennepin County Truancy Intervention Program and Be@School Reporting Process .

1. Unexcused Absences:  Parents will be notified anytime a student has an unexcused absence. In the case of multiple unexcused absences, the school will contact the family and problem solve for any student learning needs and barriers to attendance.

2. Three Days of Unexcused Absences: The school will notify the parent/guardian via a formal letter (required by MN law) to discuss the absences and identify any barriers to attendance.

3. Seven Days of Unexcused Absences: The school reports to the Be@School program. The county will send a letter to the family providing resources and a link to an informational video regarding attendance laws and support services.

4. Twelve Days of Unexcused Absences: A second report is made to Be@School. Cases are reviewed by social workers; families may be invited to an intervention meeting with school and county staff or be referred to a community agency for voluntary support (e.g., mental health, tutoring, or emergency assistance).

5. 17 Days of Unexcused Absences: A third report is made to Be@School. If voluntary services have been declined or the family is unreachable, the county may initiate a referral to Child Protection (for students under 12 or those not enrolled) to ensure the student's right to an education.
 

A. Infrequent absences: Parents and guardians are encouraged to schedule therapy appointments and medical consultations for their children outside of regular school hours whenever possible. In cases where scheduling appointments outside of school hours is not feasible, parents and guardians must notify the school administration in advance and provide appropriate documentation from a licensed healthcare professional.

B. Regular or on-going appointments: In circumstances where a student with chronic medical conditions or disabilities necessitate ongoing virtual therapy or medical treatments during school hours, the school will work with the welcome center to adjust enrollment status to part time enrollment. Parents and guardians must also provide appropriate documentation from a licensed healthcare professional.
 

• Adopted: October 11, 1994
• Amended: August 16, 2004
• Amended: October 13, 2014
• Amended: October 18, 2018
• Amended: November 1, 2024
• Amended: February 11, 2026
• Last Reviewed: February 11, 2026
   

• Policy 503 - Compulsory Attendance