Did you know that Mississippi passed a new attendance law?

PARENTS...
House Bill 1530 states that if a compulsory-school-age child has an
absence that is more than thirty-seven percent (37%) of the instructional
day the child must be considered absent the entire school day.
*The instructional day does not include lunch or time between classes.

How does this affect my child?
If your child arrives to school AFTER 10:10 or leaves school BEFORE
12:50 he/she could be considered absent for the entire school day.

What if my child has a doctor’s appointment?
We ask that appointments be made early morning or late afternoon to
minimize your child missing important classroom instruction. We
understand that this is not always an option.

Why am I receiving a letter from the State Attendance Officers?
State law requires an Official Notice of Unexcused Absence to be filed
with the School Attendance Officer after five (5) unexcused absences or
if a student reaches 12 unexcused absences, the parents are subject to
prosecution according to state law.

•This could happen if your child is late or leaving early without a valid excuse.

Click for more information on House Bill 1530,
For more information on MPSD’s attendance policy or what constitutes
a valid excuse, visit www.mpsd.k12.ms.us and click Student
Information then Code of Conduct.
For more information concerning the School Attendance Officers, go to
http://www.mscode.com/free/statutes/37/013/0091.htm