Parents/Guardians should contact the school before 9:00 AM if their student(s) will be absent. This can be done by calling the attendance line at 763-241-3555 or submitting through Parent Portal.  

 Attendance is taken each school day at 9:15 AM.  Students who are not present in the classroom by that time and have not been previously reported by parent/guardian will be marked unexcused absent.

Tardy vs Absent

A student who is arrives to school before 10:00 AM is considered “tardy.”  A student who comes after 10:00 AM is marked “absent” for the first half of the day. 

Excused vs Unexcused

Absences and tardies may be excused for some of the following reasons – student illness, medical appointment, family event (such as death in family), or religious holiday.  There may be other valid reasons, as determined by the school principal.  Students who are sick 4 or more consecutive school days need to bring in a doctor’s note to excuse their absence.

A student will have their tardy or absence marked unexcused for such reasons as being late, sleeping in, and forgetting there was school that day. 

Notification

• When a student misses three unexcused days of school, a letter is sent home notifying the parent(s)/guardian(s) that the student is “Continuing Truant.”
• When a student misses five unexcused days of school, a letter is sent home notifying the parent(s)/guardian(s) that the student is nearing the possibility of Educational Neglect.
• When a student has missed seven unexcused days of school, a letter is sent home notifying the parent(s)/guardian(s) that the student is considered to be Educationally Neglected; and by Minnesota Statute, a report is filed with the county.

If specific attendance questions, please contact our Twin Lakes Elementary Attendance/Enrollment Administrative Assistant, Kelli Duerr @ (763) 274-7242 or email kelli.duerr@isd728.org.