Attendance
Consistent attendance is essential for children to learn and make progress. When students are late, picked up early, or absent, they miss instruction. Parents/guardians are responsible for seeing that their children receive instruction in compliance with MN Statute 120A.22. The district’s expectation is that your children will attend school all day, every day that school is in session.
Reporting an absence
Please call the Maple Grove Middle attendance line at 763-315-7603 before 9 a.m. on the day your child is absent. When leaving a message, please include your child's name, grade and the reason for the absence.
When a parent/guardian does not call the school, the school may attempt to reach someone at home or at work. It is the parent’s responsibility to furnish the school within three school days the reason for their child’s absence, otherwise the absence will be considered truant.
Appointments
A parent/guardian must send a note excusing their student from school for appointments. The student must bring the note to Student Services before school to get a pass and then sign out in the main office at the time of leaving. If a student forgets a note, the parent/guardian is required to come into the office with their photo ID to sign out their child. Even if you send a text message to your child, they will not be released until the office staff sees your ID; they will then call your student out of class. The student must sign back in when returning to school. Please make every effort to schedule appointments outside of the school day.
Closed campus
The middle school is a closed campus. Under no circumstances may any student leave school property after arriving without parent/guardian permission and office sign out. Any student leaving campus without authorization who returns to the building may be searched.
Extended student absences
Contact the school office and teachers to make prior arrangements for homework for any extended student absence.
Homework requests
If your child has been absent for three or more consecutive days, please refer to Schoology to request homework.
Parent/guardian absence
If you will be away from home and your child will be under the supervision of another person, please call or send a note to the office with the dates you will be away, the name of the person with whom your child will be staying, and telephone numbers where this person may be reached during the school day.
Minnesota law
The State of Minnesota requires that all children between the ages of six and sixteen attend school every day that school is in session.
Truancy
Truancy is being absent from school or class without the approval of the building authorities. The authority to decide whether an absence is excused or unexcused rests with the building principal. There are no authorized skip days.
Note: Absences due to a missed bus, no clean clothes, staying at home to babysit younger siblings, oversleeping, or chronic medical excuses without a doctor's note are not considered "lawful absences" by a court, according to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office.
Attendance Line
763-315-7603