Dear Monroe School District families,

As we head into the final stretch of the school year, I want to take a moment to express my appreciation for your continued support and dedication to your child's education. Your involvement really makes a difference in their journey through school.

One thing that's critical for success in school is regular attendance. Studies show that students who come to school every day tend to get better grades, form stronger bonds with their classmates and teachers, and build important life skills that help them succeed in the future. 

I am pleased to share that we have made significant strides in improving attendance rates at our schools this year. This has been done through a collaborative effort between staff, families, and community members.  

We understand that sometimes kids need to miss school for doctor's appointments or other important reasons, and that's okay. We're not trying to stand in the way of you taking care of your child when they need it most. Our goal is to create an environment that encourages kids to come to school as much as possible because we know it's best for their education.

As we've looked into our attendance procedures this year, we identified some areas that needed attention. You might have noticed an increase in phone calls and letters from your child’s school about attendance this year. It's important to clarify that our aim isn't to penalize students and families, but rather to stay connected and make sure we're meeting the needs of our students and that we are following state attendance laws.

As we shared earlier this year, there are legal requirements we must follow to ensure students regularly attend school. As part of the attendance law, we are required to take daily attendance and notify you when your student has any unexcused absence. 

ELEMENTARY FAMILIES

If your elementary school child is marked absent and you have not excused their absence by 9:15 a.m. that day, you will receive an automated text message (or a phone call if the text message fails) and an email from the school at 10:00 a.m. This helps us ensure your child is safe and accounted for.

We are also required by state law to send a letter to elementary families and take certain actions (as outlined here) when:

• Your student has 3 unexcused absences within 30 days 
• Your student has 5 excused absences within 30 days OR 10 excused absences within a school year - even if you have contacted us to excuse your child’s absence
• Your student has between 2-7 unexcused absences in a school year 
• Your student has 15 excused absences within a school year

MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL FAMILIES

If your middle or high school child is marked absent in the morning and you have not excused their absence by 8:30 a.m. that day, you will receive an automated text message (or a phone call if the text message fails) and an email from the school between 9-9:15 a.m. The purpose of this morning notification is to let you know if your child has not yet arrived at school. 

If your child is marked absent in subsequent periods that day and the absence is not excused by 2:30 p.m., you will receive an automated text message (or a phone call if the text message fails) and an email from the school at 3:00 p.m.

We are also required by state law to send a letter to middle and high school families and take certain actions (as outlined here) when:

• Your student has 3 unexcused absences within 30 days 
• Your student has between 2-7 unexcused absences in a school year 

Thank you for your continued cooperation, and please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. Together, let's make the remainder of this school year a success for our students!

Sincerely,

Shawn Woodward
Superintendent