New state law aims to reduce chronic absenteeism in schools

Iowa schools are updating their student attendance policies to align with a new state law that aims to reduce school absenteeism.

Data from more than 40 states show chronic absenteeism — missing more than three weeks of learning during the school year — still is far above pre-pandemic levels. About 23 percent of Iowa students were absent 10 percent of the 2022-23 school year, compared to about 13 percent during the 2018-19 school year, according to the Iowa Department of Education.

Students who are learning English, come from low income families, or have disabilities miss school at a higher rate than their peers, as do students of color, according to data from the Iowa Department of Education from the 2021-22 school year.

The reasons for absenteeism can vary: struggling with mental health, staying home with minor illnesses, avoiding a bully, tending to a job or family members, feeling disinterested in school or simply failing to see the point of regular attendance, according to reporting by the Associated Press.

The new Iowa law, Senate File 2435, defines chronic absenteeism as missing 10 percent of days in a grading period. It requires school districts to adopt a policy related to absenteeism and truancy. The law also applies to accredited non-public schools.

If a student misses 10 percent or more days in a grading period, the school will send a certified letter to their parent or guardian and notify the county attorney. No legal action will be taken at this time.

  Buy Photo

Rep. Carter Nordman, R-Panora, chairman of the Iowa House education budget committee, through which Senate File 2435 advanced, said lawmakers wanted to help school districts address student absences.

“We are seeing many school districts in Iowa struggle with troubling chronic absenteeism and truancy numbers. Attendance is crucial to a student’s academic success. We wanted to make sure school districts have the resources they need and a system in place that brings all parties to the table. I believe this law will help get kids back in the classroom ready to learn.”

Truancy is defined in Iowa as missing 20 percent or more days in a grading period or semester. At this point, as in years predating the new law, families will again be referred to the county attorney who will decide what action to take, said Laura Medberry, executive director of learning supports for the College Community School District.

  Buy Photo

If a student reaches 15 percent absenteeism, the student and their family are required by law to attend a school engagement meeting with school officials. During this meeting, an absenteeism prevention plan will be created to prevent more absences.

The family and a school official will sign the plan, which identifies the causes of the student’s absences and the future responsibility of the family and school official related to the student’s attendance.

If an absenteeism prevention plan is created for a student, the school official will contact that student’s family at least once a week during the remainder of the school year to monitor the performance of the student and family under the plan.

The new state law does not differentiate between excused and unexcused absences and all absences count toward the total time missed from school.

Exemptions to the state attendance policy include:

Linn County Attorney’s Office wants to help get kids back to school

  Buy Photo

Nina Sheller, assistant Linn County Attorney, said she expects the changes in the law to result in a lot more communication from schools since they now are required to notify her office when a student is absent for 10 percent of a grading period.

If a student is absent from school for 20 percent of a grading period, Sheller said it will result in a simple misdemeanor charge for the family. The family then will get the opportunity to participate in the county’s Truancy Deferred Prosecution Program, started in 2019, which helps parents avoid being fined or going to jail for failing to get their children to school.

During the 2022-23 school year, there were 110 truancy cases in Linn County. Almost 80 percent of cases were dismissed due to success of the Truancy Deferred Prosecution Program, Sheller said.

“All we want is for kids to be getting their education,” Sheller said. “That is why the program was created. Punishing parents and families for not attending school is not an effective way to get kids back to school. Sending a parent to jail is not going to get a child their education.”

Sheller said many of the cases she sees, absenteeism happens because families are struggling with transportation to school or they are navigating a child’s medical or mental health challenges.

After working with families to find solutions to these challenges, Sheller said her office monitors the student’s attendance for a few months and if things go well, she will dismiss the case.

Sheller said she has been working closely with Linn County school districts this summer to ensure their policies align with the new law. “Schools are taking it really seriously and doing a lot of work to engage families,” she said.

Prairie schools create feeling of ‘belonging’ for students

Medberry said to counter chronic absenteeism, educators at each school in the College Community School District work hard to celebrate students when their attendance improves.

“What makes a difference is creating a school environment where kids feel a sense of belonging. They know the day is not the same if they’re not there. They feel seen and heard and have at least one trusting adult they can confide in and talk to,” Medberry said.

About 18 percent of students in the College Community School District were considered chronically absent — missing 10 percent of school or more — during the 2023-24 school year, Medberry said. The number of students chronically absent is lower in elementary school and tends to grow as kids get older, she said.

Over the last two years, the district has improved the number of students in school 90 percent of days or more by 6 percent, a figure they’re very proud of, Medberry said.

Medberry said a positive, supportive approach rather than punitive is shown to reduce chronic absenteeism. In a small handful of cases, however, a punitive approach might be needed for a family to realize how important regular school attendance is, she said.

During the 2020-21 school year, students were “excluded from school” because of public health guidance around the COVID-19 pandemic. “We needed to take that spread of illness seriously,” Medberry said.

She said that may have led to families getting out of the habit of regularly attending school.

Medberry said families should reach out to their school if there is something getting in the way of “consistent school attendance.”

“The bottom line is we want kids to be here every day if they’re not too sick to come or they don’t have a major family emergency,” Medberry said.

  Buy Photo

In an email to families earlier this month, Cedar Rapids schools Superintendent Tawana Grover shared changes to the district’s student attendance policy.

“Regular school attendance is crucial for your child’s academic success,” Grover said in her email to families. “When a student is absent from school, even for a few hours, they miss out on vital instruction and learning time needed for future achievement.

“Much of what occurs in the classroom cannot be duplicated through makeup work, causing kids to fall behind … Creating a habit of good attendance helps students learn the future skills, persistence and grit needed to show up every day for college and work,” Grover said.

‘Spirit of the law’ supports regular school attendance

In the Linn-Mar Community School District, about 5 percent of students, or 390 kids, missed 20 percent or more of school in 2024, district spokeswoman Renee Nelson said in an email to The Gazette.

School staff work with families struggling with student attendance by suggesting transportation resources, stressing the importance of regular attendance and making referrals to community service agencies outside the school district when appropriate, Nelson said.

Educators within the school work with students struggling with academic concerns, mental health or substance abuse that may be keeping them from regular attendance.

  Buy Photo

“While the implementation of this law might feel different from past practice for some of our families, we appreciate the spirit of the law as it supports our interest in keeping families informed and engaged in their child’s attendance and academic progress in our district.” Linn-Mar Superintendent Amy Kortemeyer said.

The Gazette’s Erin Murphy contributed to this report.

Comments: (319) 398-8411; grace.king@thegazette.com