Academics » Attendance

Attendance

Our office is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM – 3:45 PM, September through early June (except during school breaks). Please see our school calendar for more details.

Phone: (218) 722-7574

Office Manager: Stephanie Williams [email protected]


To report an absence, please call the main office (218-722-7574) or email Stephanie Williams [email protected] with the reason for the absence. 


HCIS uses PowerSchool for attendance taking and grades. If you need assistance creating a PowerSchool parent/guardian profile, please reach out to Administrative Assistant Krissa Boman at [email protected] 

 

The following are attendance codes used at HCIS:

  • EA - Excused Absence
  • UA - Unexcused Absence
  • ET - Excused Tardy
  • UT - Unexcused Tardy
  • MED - Medical, Illness, Appointments
  • FAM - Vacation, Holiday, Bereavement 
  • SUS - Suspension 
  • SA - School Activity
  • OC - Out of Class (student has been out of class for 10+ minutes)
  • HB- Home Bound
 

Attendance Expectations

Daily attendance matters! We expect students to be present and on time everyday. Important information related to attendance can be found in our Student Handbook: Attendance policy (See Chapter 4) Student Handbook: 2024-2025 Student Handbook


Support Regular Attendance

  • Establish routines for morning and bedtime.
  • Prepare clothes and backpacks the night before.
  • Schedule appointments and vacations outside school hours whenever possible.
  • Become familiar with the DTA schedule, noting times and routes in advance. 

Attendance Procedures

  • Notify the office within 24 hours to excuse an absence.
  • Written notes and Emails are preferred over calls to ease office workload.

Signing In and Out

Students must sign in and out at the main office if arriving late, leaving early, or leaving for an appointment. Parent or guardian permission is required for early departures.

As students accrue multiple absences, a representative of the school will make reasonable efforts to notify parents and guardians that the student will lose credit for course work when the student reaches 15 absences (excused or unexcused) in a semester. In addition, parents or guardians will be encouraged to meet with teachers and the Student Support Team to resolve any issues or to correct problems that may be contributing to a high number of absences.


Following 15 absences, the Student Support Team will make reasonable efforts to inform the student’s parents or guardians that the student will lose credit for a course or courses in which the student has accrued 15 absences. The loss of credit is subject to review in the student initiated credit appeal process detailed in the Course Supplement, Appendix B.

Under Minnesota law, school attendance is mandatory. 
A student is considered a “habitual truant” if they are 12 years until turning 18 years old and is absent from school without a lawful excuse for 7 full or partial school days.
If your child accumulates 7 or more unexcused absences, our school may make a formal truancy filing with the St. Louis County Attorney’s Office; you and your child may be subject to juvenile protection proceedings.

When a student has missed fifteen consecutive school days during the regular school year, the school district must drop the student from its enrollment roll and classify the student as withdrawn for funding purposes. See Minn. Stat. § 126C.05, Subd. 8.