Iowa School Attendance Policy Changing For School Districts

(Undated) — Iowa schools are adjusting attendance policies to comply with a new state law that defines chronic absenteeism as missing ten percent of the school year.

Schools are implementing measures such as sending letters to families when a student is chronically absent and holding engagement meetings with students and parents. Some districts, like Vinton-Shellsburg, are planning to use postcards to help parents track their child’s absences.

The goal of the law is to ensure that children are in school and learning effectively.