October 3, 2024

Attendance Law: A Note About Medical Absences

This school year districts across the state were asked to navigate new student attendance laws designed to curtail a broad trend of increased school absences. Our leadership has thoughtfully considered feedback from our families about our district's local implementation of these laws, and I want to take a moment to share why Linn-Mar is electing to make a change to our process to better support our students and families.

We understand that attendance is crucial for student success, and our focus as we implemented policies around this law has been on ways we could best support our students and our families. As the year got underway, our district and others have heard from families about the additional stress this legislation has caused.

In reviewing our processes for implementing the state law, we have elected to shift our approach in implementing one subset of the legislation regarding medical absences. The district will now allow up to four medical absences per student per semester that will be exempt from the new attendance law. For example, this change might affect absences that are just be called into an attendance office but not accompanied by a doctor's note. This change is designed to provide families with a little additional flexibility while still maintaining the integrity of our attendance policies.

We believe this adjustment will help alleviate some of the stress that comes with managing family medical appointments or illnesses, and helps ensure that students can prioritize their health without the added worry of attendance penalties. We also believe this change will better support our own staff who have been dutifully recording the additional documentation needs associated with this legislation.

Thank you for your understanding and support as we implement these changes. We are committed to creating an environment where every student can thrive, both academically and personally.

Understanding Thresholds for Absences and Notifications

We understand that it can be hard to sort so much information related to this new attendance law. Please visit our website to see a chart that explains the thresholds of when notifications will be sent to families or when other actions will take place.

Attendance Legislative Requirements

Homecoming Highlights!

Homecoming has come to mean more than just a fun event—it's a cherished tradition that plays a vital role in fostering school spirit and connection with our community. Let’s celebrate the positives from this past week with the goal of uniting everyone in support of our students and activities.

#WeAreLinnMar Homecoming Video

Student Efforts Support Armstrong Bell Renovations

The renovation of the Armstrong Bell was spearheaded by the Linn-Mar Class of 1973, and its renovation was supported by current Linn-Mar students as well!

Click Here to Learn More

Celebrating Westfield's New Playground

New playground equipment at Westfield Elementary welcomed our students as they kicked off this school year. The Linn-Mar Operations and Maintenance team, along with contracted workers, worked together to install the new equipment with the help of volunteers from the Westfield Elementary PTO.

During a special assembly last week the students, staff and Westfield community celebrated their collaborative efforts which helped replace the playground equipment that had been at the elementary school since the school opened in 1999.

Parent Notices Related to Literacy Proficiency

The state of Iowa has implemented a new early literacy law that requires personalized reading plans for students in grades K-6 who are not reading at grade level.

At Linn-Mar we have been monitoring student reading skills and creating personalized learning plans for students not reading at grade level in grades K-6 for several years. Our approach has been designed to ensure we are supporting all of our learners, and our district process includes:

Ensuring strong core literacy instruction is available for all students.
Providing universal screening in reading for students in kindergarten through sixth grade.
Providing evidence-based interventions for students who are at risk and persistently at risk in reading.
Continuing to monitor the progress of students who are at risk and persistently at risk in reading.
Sending information to parents that a student is persistently at risk in reading, including strategies the parents can use at home to help the child succeed. We also will send information to parents celebrating a student’s subsequent progress.

As a part of this law, we now also will notify parents or guardians of the option to retain their child at their current grade level if they are not reading proficiently in grades K-6.

If you have additional questions about what this change might mean for your child, please contact your child's building principal.

Join the Pride!

Board Meetings Continue at Temporary Locations

The Linn-Mar Board of Directors will continue meeting in a temporary location until the district’s new administration building is completed. The upcoming October meetings of the Linn-Mar Board of Directors will be held at 5 p.m. in the Marion City Council Chambers, 1225 6th Avenue, Marion, IA. Meetings will continue to be livestreamed from this temporary location. All meeting details continue to be posted on the district’s website.

Inspire Learning. Unlock Potential. Empower Achievement.