As the new school year begins, districts in Iowa, including the Iowa City Community School District, have seen some changes in attendance policy resulting from legislation passed by the State of Iowa in April.

Senate File 2435 was signed into law on May 9 and went into effect at the start of the 2024-25 school year. An integral part of the bill redefined parameters of absenteeism in public schools, and the subsequent policy changes at districts like the Iowa City Community School District have required families to adjust their schedules.

The new bill defines chronic absenteeism as missing 10 percent of school days within a grading period. More importantly, there is no longer a distinction between excused and unexcused absences.

According to a recent study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, 26 percent of Iowa students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 school year. Iowa legislators set out to address this issue.

Students being absent from school for reasons like a doctor’s visit or a funeral cannot be excused. This means that unexcused absences will add up faster.

Once the 10 percent threshold is reached, a letter is sent to the county attorney. Once the 15 percent threshold is reached, it is required that the truant students and their parents meet with the school to devise an action plan.

In an email to The Daily Iowan, Iowa City Community School District Community Relations Director Kristin Pedersen shared the notice sent by the Iowa City Community School District to parents in the district. More information about the district’s updated attendance policy can be found on its website, including how to navigate important absences related to medical reasons.

“The State of Iowa requires us to track the number of days missed, regardless of the reason,” wrote Iowa City Community School District Superintendent Matt Degner.

According to Degner, absences should still be reported to the district, ensuring the district knows students are healthy and safe if they are not in class. However, regardless of the reason for the absence, they will continue to add up until they reach the 10 percent threshold.

“If your child reaches 15 percent absenteeism, a School Engagement meeting will be scheduled, and an Absenteeism Prevention Plan will be created. If these steps are not followed, the county attorney may initiate legal proceedings,” Degner wrote in the notice.

The Iowa City Community School District stated their policy changes are in the best interest of students to craft a productive learning environment.

“Regular school attendance is crucial for your child’s success, both academically and socially,” Degner wrote.

Iowa City Community School District School Board Vice President Molly Abraham said in an interview with the DI that some schools in the district use a quarterly grading system, meaning five days of absence from classes would reach the 10 percent threshold.

“It’s possible that kids are getting up to that number, or will before too long,” Abraham said. “For some people that probably has already happened.”

Abraham said the district has already heard from medical practitioners to ensure students will be able to have important procedures done without truancy being a risk. She said students would be excused in those cases.

“We have to have something in writing from the practitioners,” Abraham said. “We’re going to work towards habitual excused absences from practitioners.”

Abraham also said students’ education suffers when they miss class.

“Anytime a kid misses school, it is hard for them to catch up,” Abraham said. “I hope [the policy] helps. I hope it brings awareness to the issue.”

While educators and district administration hope the law will help foster a stronger learning environment, some parents are upset and have already encountered issues with the new law.

Lacey Vrchoticky, a parent of a student in an Iowa City middle school, wrote in an email to the DI that the Iowa City Community School District could not excuse her child for a funeral her family needed to attend.

“What about the parents that don’t have a village when something like that happens?” Vrchoticky wrote. “I get attendance is important but to have it as strict as it is, is crazy.”

Vrchoticky added that, despite the district advising parents to keep sick children home, the new policy does not allow kids to miss school.

“Schools are the breeding ground for germs, so kids will be sick more than once most likely through the school year,” Vrchoticky wrote.