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Pleasant Valley updates attendance policy to align with Senate File 2435; board approves handbook changes
Summary
School administrators told the Pleasant Valley Community School District board Thursday that changes to the student and parent handbooks, driven by Senate File 2435, focus on early intervention and semester-based tracking to reduce chronic absenteeism; the board approved the updates by roll call vote.
Pleasant Valley Community School District administrators presented revised student- and parent-handbook language that implements attendance changes aligned with Senate File 2435 and emphasizes early intervention to reduce chronic absenteeism.
Administrators said the district is shifting from a full-year to a semester-based attendance period, which translates state benchmarks into 9, 13 and 18 days of absence within a semester. The district will send an early-intervention letter at five absences (a non‑mandated early-notice tool), operate School Engagement Meetings (SEMs) when students reach the chronic-absence benchmarks and maintain an absenteeism prevention plan recording action steps agreed at SEMs.
Tony, a district presenter, described the policy and the tracking process: “We want to catch these issues because we know that attendance is often just the surface level. We need to drill down into this and come up with a solution that helps the students.” He also described a district tracking sheet that building teams update weekly and the central office forwards monthly to the Scott County Attorney’s Office in compliance with the statute.
Administrators said exemptions (for example, documented medical absences) are subtracted from reported absences before submission to the county attorney and noted the district consulted the Iowa Department of Education and the Iowa School Administrators association when drafting the language. A district presenter reported that, after exemptions, chronic-absence counts have fallen: “we are down 44 students from 131 at this week last year to 87,” and “we only have 1 chronically absent student in our district to date after the exemptions.”
Board members asked how the district will treat medical exemptions (including mental-health visits). Administrators replied that documented notes from a physician or a nurse‑sent home note will qualify as medical exemptions under the policy. Board members also asked about certified‑mail requirements written into the state law; presenters said districts statewide have asked the legislature to remove the certified‑mail requirement because of cost and returned mail problems.
The board approved the handbook updates by motion. Motion: “I move the board approve updates to the 20 24 25 student and parent handbooks as presented.” Motion by Director Wheeler; second by Director Kunkle. Roll call: Missus Wheeler — Yes; Jackie Wagle — Yes; Mister Smith — Yes; Missus Konkal — Yes; Mister Kanwisher — Yes; Missus Brockman — Yes.
Administrators said the district will “reset” the semester counter at the end of the current term for students who had only reached earlier benchmarks below the 13‑day trigger; however, students who have already reached the 13‑day meeting threshold will carry that status into the next semester (a rolling/pro-rated weekly calculation tracks limits week by week).
The revised handbook language and the district’s updated tracking tools will take effect as presented; the board directed administrators to continue monthly reporting to the county attorney’s office and to communicate the changes to parents and building staff.
