Attendance Requirements

Reporting a Student Absence

The Byron School District 531 is obligated to follow the Minnesota Law on School Attendance until Age 18. 

CONTACTING THE OFFICE: 
Parents/guardians are required to notify the BMS office if their student will be absent during ANY PART of the school day, which includes the hours of 8:00am-3:00 pm.  
We will need parents' help in contacting the school every time your student is absent or ill. You may report absences via email to our Attendance Secretary at bms.attendance@byron.k12.mn.us or by calling 507-775-2189. Include the following information: 
      1.    Student's name
      2.    Date and time of absence
      3.    Reason for absence, including symptoms of any illness.

EXCUSED ABSENCES: to be considered an excused absence, the student’s parent or legal guardian may be asked to verify, in writing, the reason for the student’s absence from school. Students may be excused from school with no effect on his/her grade for the following reasons:
     1.   Illness - a physician's statement may be required
     2.   Death in the family
     3.   Medical, Dental or Orthodontic treatment or counseling appointments for the student
     4.   Prearranged travel or work
     5.   Other urgent reasons as interpreted by the school Principal
*However, excessive excused absenteeism may affect the student's grade. Examples would be 1) Consistent absence on a certain day of the week, 2) Always missing on the day of a test, 3) Missing more than one (1) day per week.  Suspected cases of excessive absenteeism will be reported to the Administration before the grade is affected.

UNEXCUSED ABSENCES:
      1. Unexcused Absences are any absences other than those stated as excused.
      2. Excessive Unexcused Absences – Please see Section Vi of Policy 503.
      3. No students are to leave the building without receiving permission from the office. Leaving the building without permission will result in an unexcused absence for the classes missed.

UNEXCUSED TARDIES: Three (3) unexcused tardies at the Middle School will be equivalent to one (1) unexcused absence for truancy reporting purposes.

Please refer to the policies on the district webpage to review Byron Public School's Attendance Policy in its entirety.