Compulsory Attendance

Code No.: 501.1
COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE
Purpose: To provide guidelines for compliance with the Code of Iowa regarding compulsory
attendance.
Parents who reside within the District and have:
 a child who has reached the age of 4 and attending a state funded preschool
 a child who has reached the age of five by September 15 and attending Kindergarten
 have children between six and sixteen years of age by September 15,
and in proper physical and mental condition to attend school shall have the children attend
school at the attendance center designated by the Board and are all subject to compulsory
attendance guidelines. Students shall attend school the number of days school is in session in
accordance with the school calendar.
Students attending Competent Private Instruction and/or Home School Assisted Program shall
attend a minimum of thirty-seven days per quarter and a minimum of one-hundred and fortyeight
days per year. Exceptions to this policy include children who:
 have completed the requirements for graduation in an accredited school or have
obtained a high school equivalency diploma;
 are attending religious services or receiving religious instruction;
 are attending an approved or probationary approved private college preparatory
school;
 are attending an accredited nonpublic school:
 are receiving independent private instruction; or,
 are receiving competent private instruction
Students who are within the compulsory attendance laws, who are not in school, and who
possess an Iowa Driver’s License may have their license pulled and be given a probationary
license. If at the time of applying for a driver’s license the student is not attending school and
he/she is of compulsory attendance age, a license will not be issued by the Department of
Transportation.
It is the responsibility of the parent of a child to provide evidence of the child’s mental and
physical inability to attend school or of the child’s qualifications for one of the exceptions listed
above.
Parents of students in a State funded preschool or kindergarten desiring to remove their child
from the program must notify the district in writing of the intent to withdraw the child from the
school district.
The principal will investigate the cause for a student’s truancy. If the principal is unable to
secure the truant student’s attendance, the principal should discuss the next step with the school
board or school board leadership. If after school board action, the student is still truant,
principal will refer the matter over to the county attorney.
The school will participate in mediation if requested by the county attorney. The
superintendent will represent the school district in mediation. The school district will monitor
the student’s compliance with the mediation agreement and will report violations of the
mediation agreement to the county attorney.
Legal Reference: Iowa Code 259A; 279.10-11; 299.1 (1991).
Iowa Code 299B (Iowa Acts 1991).
281 Iowa Admin. Code 31.
1978 Op. Att’y. Gen. 379.
Approved 11/18/91
Reviewed 2/21/00
Reviewed 4/7/03
Revised 4/21/03
Reviewed 7/7/08
Revised 7/6/15