MMS Attendance Policy
Student attendance will be a major focus at Marshall Middle School this year. We have seen a growing number of full-day absences, late arrivals, early checkouts, and missed class periods, many of which are preventable. Every missed class affects student learning and creates additional challenges for teachers, who must reteach lessons, provide makeup work, and offer extra support.
This message is not directed at students who are legitimately ill, attending medical appointments, experiencing family emergencies, or dealing with other valid circumstances. Rather, it addresses preventable absences and the belief that missing school is acceptable when students simply do not want to attend, want to avoid a class or assessment, or wish to leave early.
This year, Marshall Middle School will place a stronger emphasis on protecting instructional time, identifying attendance concerns early, supporting students facing legitimate barriers, and holding students accountable for repeated absences and tardiness. Family support is essential. We ask parents and guardians not to excuse students from school for avoidable reasons and to encourage regular attendance.
Please review the Student Planner 2026-27, under Student Absences, page 8, for information on reporting absences, late arrivals, and early releases; excused absences; chronic absenteeism and truancy; and the impact attendance may have on school activities and privileges.
Regular attendance matters. Every class, every day counts.
Please note that it may take us some time to update your entry into PowerSchool, so you may still get the automated call. MMS appreciates your support and understanding. Check your parent portal (Attendance History) to verify it has been updated.
è REPORT ABSENCE/LATE ARRIVAL FORM
Check your parent portal (Attendance History) to verify it has been updated.
è EARLY DISMISSAL FORM
When possible, we ask that you please submit the early dismissal form a minimum of 60min prior to your requested pick-up time.
Blue Slips will be given for students who need to leave school for medical, dental, court appointments, funerals or extreme family emergencies and must be obtained from the Attendance Office BEFORE leaving campus. Students may not leave campus without the blue slip and will be released only to contacts in PowerSchool. We will send a blue pass to the student’s classroom as a request for the teacher to release them.
When picking up a student, parents/guardians, or other authorized contacts listed in student PowerSchool, will be required to show ID and sign the student out before taking the student off campus. Please plan to wait for your student to travel from their classroom to the attendance office.
Students may bring a NOTE FROM PARENT/GUARDIAN to the attendance office before school. The note must include the following: STUDENT NAME, TIME, REASON for early dismissal, and PARENT/GUARDIAN telephone number and signature.
STUDENT DELIVERIES: In order to limit disruption during instruction, we do not deliver items to students. Items can be left on the back office table with your child's name on it for them to pick-up during passing periods, lunch, or after school. Please instruct your child to check the table if they notice they forgot something, i.e. lunch, PE clothes, homework, etc..
INDEPENDENT STUDY CONTRACT POLICY (ISC): Absence 5 or more days due to long-term illness or injury ONLY and under physician's care with documentation.
Not Eligible for ISC however absences are Excused: Bereavement, short-term illness, family illness
UNEXCUSED ABSENCES: Family vacations, travel, sports related travel, truancy.