Attendance Policy
The new Indiana State Attendance Law requires schools to alert parents and guardians of a student’s unexcused absences at both five (5) and 10 days before legal intervention by the Marion County Prosecutor’s office. According to the new law, habitual student truancy may result in a Class B misdemeanor or a Level 6 felony charge for parents/guardians.
Below are the absence policies and required documentation to prevent unexcused absences.
IPS Student Attendance Overview
Information on types of absences, reporting and monitoring them.
Attendance Resources
Types of Attendance Absences including New State Law
- Habitual Truancy: Legal intervention by the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office:
- Failure to ensure school attendance – Class B misdemeanor
- Educational neglect – Level 6 felony
- Chronic Absences (10+ unexcused absences): Missing just one day every two weeks can add up to 10 days in a year. Excused and unexcused absences represent lost time in the classroom and lost opportunities to learn.
- Legal notice of student’s truant status and mandatory referral to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.
- Warning (5 unexcused absences): Students who are absent an average of 5 days a year miss a year’s worth of school before their senior year. When students miss a day of school it actually puts them two days behind their classmates.
- Mandatory parent conference with school attendance officer and creation of an attendance intervention plan.
- Good Attendance (4 or fewer days): Students with good attendance generally achieve higher grades and enjoy school more. Students make the most of their educational opportunities if they attend school every day and on time.
Attendance Tips & Information
- Why Chronic Absence Matters?
- Bringing Attendance Home-Video
- 10 Facts about School Attendance
- Preschool Attendance
- Build Good Attendance Habits
- MS and HS Attendance
- Too Sick for School
- The Attendance Imperative Video
- Student Attendance Success Plan
- Reports/Research on Attendance
- Success Stories Related to Improved Attendance
- Indiana Compulsory School Attendance Law