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For Families » Attendance Policy

Attendance Policy

Attendance


Attendance is the first step in ensuring academic achievement. In order for students to reach for their personal best, they must show up and make their strongest effort at school each and every day. At Prodeo Academy, regular attendance is required. We expect that students come to school every day except in cases of illness, medical appointments, religious holidays,  family emergencies, or the serious illness or death of an immediate family member. Generally speaking, students should not be absent more than 7 times in a school year. Our curriculum is an ambitious one; every day is essential for students to keep pace. Families are expected to ensure that their children are in school. Excessive absences will be considered a violation of the family-school contract. We encourage you to schedule appointments and vacations outside of school hours, and to refer to the family calendar when scheduling.


Absences


A student who is not at school for any reason, including student illness (with doctor’s note), a death in the family, religious holiday (with parent/guardian/guardian’s notes), etc. are all considered absences at Prodeo Academy.

Please call the Main Office by 8 AM on a day when your child is absent to let us know they won’t be at school, or send a message to your attendance thread on TalkingPoints. 

  • Excused Absences: A child may be excused for illness, medical appointments, religious holiday,  family emergency, or the serious illness or death of an immediate family member. After 7 excused absences within a single school-year, the parent must provide documentation to excuse the absence.
  • Unexcused Absences: All other absences are unexcused. Absences over 7 that do not have proper documentation are also unexcused. 

Tardiness


Getting to school on time is a key to your child’s success – at school and in life. At Prodeo Academy, the learning begins from the moment students walk in the door. Students who are late miss essential math and reading instruction, disrupt the learning of other children, and risk falling behind on our ambitious curriculum. Excessive tardiness is a truancy problem. The leadership team may follow up on excessive tardiness.

  • Students must arrive between 7:20 AM and 7:35 AM. 
  • Students arriving after 7:35 AM are considered tardy. 
  • In cases when a school bus arrives late, those students riding the bus are not considered tardy. 
  • Students arriving after 10:30 AM are considered absent.

Early Pick-Up


Students are expected to stay in school until the very end of the day (2:20 PM). Early pickups are disruptive to the learning environment, have a negative impact on student learning, and should be avoided whenever possible. To ensure the safety and efficiency of our dismissal procedures, students may not be picked up early between 1:45 PM and 2:20 PM.

Absence Tracking and Follow Up 


The school will keep records of all student absences. If a student misses school, Prodeo Academy staff will make reasonable efforts to contact the student’s parent/guardian by telephone, writing, or in person. Staff will explain the school’s attendance policy and request the parent/guardian’s strong support in this policy. School leadership will follow up with parents/guardians about attendance issues. Students who miss too many days of school have difficulty learning and retaining grade level content and therefore may need to repeat the grade.


Consequences for Absences


School Attendance is required by law. Minnesota law requires that every child between 7 and 17 years of age must receive an education, and that every child from age 7, or upon enrollment in school, is required to attend school each and every day and every class period. If a student misses a school day, or part of a school day for legitimate reasons, a parent or guardian must notify the school. 


  • Three unexcused absences in a quarter: If a student is absent three times in a quarter, it is considered a serious issue. At this point, the parent/guardian may be called to the school to meet with the leadership. At the meeting, the problem will be discussed and an attendance plan will be developed.

  • Seven unexcused absences: If a student is absent seven times in a year, the student is considered habitually truant. At this point, the student is at risk of not being promoted to the next grade because it will be difficult to make up for lost learning. The parent/guardian will be called to the school to meet with the leadership.

  • Truancy reporting: Prodeo reports absences to the county as required by law. This reporting happens at 5, 6, or 7 unexcused absences, depending on the child’s county of residence, and every 3-5 absences thereafter.

  • Unenrollment: If a student reaches 15 consecutive unexcused absences, they will be withdrawn from school automatically as required by state law. A student who has been withdrawn for a 15-day absence may re-enroll at Prodeo without being placed on a waiting list unless they have attended another public school in Minnesota or the family has given written notice that they will not be returning.