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Urbandale district outlines impact, costs and enforcement steps from new state attendance law
Summary
District officials told the board the state attendance law has produced certified-letter mailing costs and triggers escalating interventions at 10%, 15% and 20% absenteeism thresholds.
A district administrator told the Urbandale Community School District board that the new state attendance law has required the district to mail hundreds of certified letters and is driving additional staff time, costs and mandated interventions.
The unnamed district administrator reported that, since the law took effect, the district spent $2,501.70 on certified letters and mailed 390 certified letters; 92 were returned unclaimed and 32 were undeliverable. The administrator said those postage costs do not include staff time from administrators, FFOs, nurses, deans, coordinators, data specialists, registrars and other staff who prepare letters and conduct follow-up work.
The administrator outlined enforcement thresholds the district must follow under state law: at 10% absences in a grading period the district must notify the county attorney; at 15% the district must hold family meetings and weekly check-ins and continue county attorney contact; at 20% the absence level is treated as truancy and can lead to civil enforcement and possible rescission of open enrollment. The administrator also said if a student has 10 consecutive unexcused days of absence they can be withdrawn from the district; open-enrolled students withdrawn for attendance must reapply for open enrollment.
The presenter emphasized that the district does not set which absences are exempt and that exemptions are defined by state statute; the presenter said legislators were reportedly considering adding military service to the exempt list but had not yet done so.
Board members and staff said they will continue outreach and written notices (including a second-semester notice and posts in the district newsletter and website). The administrator encouraged families to consult the district website and ParentSquare for details on absences and the district’s resources.
