Marshalltown board reviews attendance data, state law implications after ‘day without immigrants’

Marshalltown Community School District officials on Feb. 10 presented detailed attendance data, described how state reporting differs from the district’s internal counts, and outlined steps the district is taking to address chronic absenteeism after a large absence event tied to a community action.

District attendance lead Dr. Elizabeth Harris Medina told the board that the district treats unexcused absences as its priority for intervention and that state reporting counts all absences (excused and unexcused). She said the district had 5,325 active students at the end of the fall semester and reported 598 students with unexcused absences (about 11 percent) while the state’s chronic-absence figure (which includes excused absences) was roughly 24.6 percent for that reporting window.

Those differences matter for how and when the district intervenes, Harris Medina said: “We really want to focus on those unexcused absences because that’s where we see the danger,” she told the board. She explained the district follows the new Iowa attendance policy thresholds (10 percent: notice; 15 percent: mandatory attendance meeting; 20 percent: truancy) and that filing certified letters and required meetings can be costly and time-consuming.

Why it matters: Board members pressed staff to explain family trips, coding, and exemptions. The district allows five excused family-trip days if parents notify the school five days in advance; further days become unexcused. Principals told the board those local practices influence families’ choices and sometimes create confusion: “Right now they’re viewing it as they have 14 days,” Principal Anelle Garza said, describing a typical parent calculation that combines excused and unexcused allowances. The district is working to standardize coding and messaging across buildings.

Interventions and results: Harris Medina summarized a tiered set of strategies the district is using. Tier 1 is broad messaging (monthly attendance notices, school climate work); Tier 2 includes early intervention such as outreach and attendance groups; Tier 3 includes individualized plans, home visits and, when necessary, referral to the county attorney. She reported a fall-to-winter improvement: chronic absentee rates rose in January during widespread illness but remained below last year’s peak (a 4 percentage-point improvement compared with the previous year at the same point).

Impact of Feb. 3 action: Woodbury Elementary principal Annelle (Anel) Garza described participation in a Feb. 3 “day without immigrants,” saying the school experienced a 38 percent absentee rate that day and that staff held debriefings to support students and employees emotionally. Garza and other staff framed the event as an example of community voice and said the district’s follow-up emphasized safe spaces and support for returning students.

Board discussion and next steps: Board members and administrators agreed the state law’s fixed reporting windows complicate comparisons with semester-based local calculations. Superintendent Dr. Theron Schutte and staff said they will continue – and scale – attendance meetings and parent education sessions, expand districtwide best practices learned in buildings such as Woodbury, and continue to work with state representatives on clarifying legislation and implementation realities.

The board did not take formal action on policy at the meeting, but staff said they will return with clearer metrics, proposed standardizations for coding family trips, and a recommended communications plan for parents and staff to reduce confusion about excused versus unexcused absences.

Ending: District leaders told the board they will keep reporting attendance trends and outreach outcomes at future meetings and pursue grant, community and state-level options to reduce chronic absenteeism and support at-risk students.