Greatness Grows Here.

Office of Enrollment and Attendance 

Attendance Procedures and Reminders

• With the school year now underway, let's prioritize consistent student attendance. We encourage all staff to reinforce the importance of daily presence and continue working collaboratively toward a successful academic year!
• Attendance Liaisons work will be closely aligned with truancy prevention efforts, RTI-B frameworks, and counseling services to ensure a comprehensive, student-centered approach. 

Student Absence Form Available via PowerSchool Parent Portal

• Please be advised that the Student Absence Form is available for all parents through the PowerSchool Parent Portal. This online form allows parents to easily notify the school of their child’s absence directly from their mobile devices or computers. Parents can also track the status of their absence submission by returning to the portal.
• Accurate attendance entry in PowerSchool is essential for reducing the district’s chronic absenteeism rate.  In accordance with Policy #6014, teachers must begin recording attendance on the first day of school (August 4, 2025) using PowerTeacher Pro.

• Effective Immediately: The following attendance codes are the only codes teachers should use:
  • U0 – Unexcused Absence
  • FT – Field Trip
• T – Tardy (Middle and High School only)

• Teachers should no longer use the AT – Absent by Teacher code.  

Codes no longer used:

AT – Absent by Teacher

E0 – Excused Absence

E7 – Excused Absence due to Quarantine of Self Isolation

U6 – Unexcused Absence due to Quarantine of Self Isolation

U99 – Other

REM – Remand to Alt Setting

CT – Contract

T – Tardy (no longer used in Elementary Schools)

Codes renamed:

Old                                                                       New

EPA – Excused Partial Absence                       LEE – Left Early Excused

UPA – Unexcused Partial Absence                   LEU – Left Early Unexcused

• Please ensure your Attendance Liaison and/or Clerical Assistant (General Office Secretary) is familiar with these changes. This information was reviewed during summer training and the July in-service sessions.

New District Attendance Initiative: Greatness Starts by Showing Up!

• This year, the district is launching a new attendance initiative designed to support a regional service delivery model and strengthen tiered interventions:

Tiered Intervention Model:

• Tier 1: Greatness Starts by Showing Up
• Tier 2: Present for Progress – NEW partnership with the Assisi Foundation and Attendance Works
• Tier 3: Be Present. Be Great.

• We are also improving alignment between Attendance & Truancy Liaisons and RTI-B Specialists to maximize effectiveness in reducing chronic absenteeism and truancy.

Truancy Outreach: Greatness at Your Door 2.0

• As we address truancy, our focus will be on students who have not re-enrolled and are marked as no-shows.  These students must be identified early for outreach.

Action Required:

• Export your no-show list from PowerSchool
• Personally contact each family to determine the reason for non-enrollment and offer necessary support
• Prepare for home outreach visits later this month through the Greatness at Your Door 2.0 campaign

Grade Placement: Overage or Unenrolled Students (OAG)

• Students returning to MSCS after an extended absence or who are new to the district but have never been enrolled must undergo grade placement assessment.

Process:

1. Complete the OAG Placement Form: https://forms.office.com/r/UsRH8usW5C
2. If the student is already in PowerSchool:
   • Transfer to Registration School
   • Enroll in age-appropriate grade
   • Add entry comment: “Pending OAG Assessment”
   • Provide parent with PowerSchool credentials
   • Inform parent a placement team member will contact them via email
3. If the student is new to MSCS and has proof of residence:
   • Enroll in Registration School
   • Follow the same steps above

Enrollment Procedures and Reminders

• First impressions matter. Please ensure staff are welcoming, knowledgeable, and equipped to assist with enrollment needs. Most issues can be resolved at the school level. Families should not be turned away.
• District-level support is available. The Enrollment & Attendance Office will assist with complex cases involving school assignments, truancy clearance, special education inquiries, and other matters.
•  Final Enrollment Push: To support remaining unregistered families, the Enrollment & Attendance Office will be stationed at the Board of Education Auditorium from August 4–8, 8:30am. – 4:30pm. Accurate enrollment directly impacts your staffing and budget allocations.

• Kindergarten Age Requirement:
• Children must be five years old on or before August 15th of the current school year to be eligible for kindergarten enrollment.
• Five-year-old kindergarteners who have not been previously enrolled cannot be enrolled after the first 30 days of the school year.
• Previously enrolled kindergarteners may be accepted at any time.

School Choice Transfer

• Please be advised that the application period for school choice transfer options has now closed.
• If you have questions or need further guidance, please don’t hesitate to reach out the Enrollment & Attendance Office at 416-2989.