Skip to main content

Middletown Public Schools

Middletown Public Schools cultivates the brilliance in each student.

Our Response to Student Absence & Truancy

Our Response to Absences and Truancy

Regular school attendance is crucial for academic success. At Middletown Public Schools, we monitor attendance carefully and work with families to ensure every student has the opportunity to thrive. Below are our attendance thresholds and corresponding actions.

Communication Timeline for Absences

All absences, whether they are excused or unexcused, receive the same initial responses. Truancy receives an additional set of responses (see below).

Three absences in the school year

At this stage, we reach out to:

  • Notify families of the current attendance situation.

Six absences in the school year

At this point, we take additional steps:

  • Schedule a meeting with parents/guardians and student

  • Create an attendance support plan

  • Identify specific barriers to attendance

  • Develop solutions together

Nine absences in the school year

This is a critical threshold requiring immediate action:

  • Mandatory meeting with school administration

  • Review of attendance records

  • Evaluation of current support plan effectiveness

  • Connection with additional community resources

  • Implementation of intensive support measures

What is Chronic Absenteeism?

Missing just 10% of school days makes students "chronically absent." This might not sound like much, but it adds up quickly!

Here are some quick examples to show how it works:

  • After 20 days of school:

    • Missing 2 days = Chronically absent

  • After 50 days of school:

    • Missing 5 days = Chronically absent

  • After 100 days of school:

    • Missing 10 days = Chronically absent

Communication Timeline for Truancy

By state law, a student is considered truant when they have:

  • Four (4) unexcused absences in a 30 day period, OR

  • Ten (10) unexcused absences in a school year

Important: Throughout this process, our primary goal is to support your child's success. All communications and meetings aim to understand challenges, provide assistance, and ensure your child has every opportunity to thrive academically and socially.

School officials will intervene and act accordingly, depending on the number of unexcused absences during any given time period.

Four unexcused absences in a 30-day period

  • Family will receive a Truant Notification letter
  • School will request a meeting to create an attendance support plan
  • Discussion of barriers to attendance and potential solutions

Ten unexcused absences in a school year

  • Family will receive a Truant Notification letter
  • Mandatory meeting to create/revise attendance support plan
  • Review of current interventions and additional support options

Twenty unexcused absences in a school year

  • Family will receive a Habitual Truant notification
  • Mandatory attendance review meeting will be scheduled
  • Review of attendance requirements
  • Development of comprehensive attendance improvement plan
  • Connection with additional support services

Let's work together! Here's how to Contact Us:

If you're facing challenges with attendance and would like our support, please feel free to contact your child’s teacher, child's school counselor, or the school's main office to discuss.

  • Middletown High School: 860-704-4520 (school counseling office)

  • Beman Middle School: 860-347-8594 option 2 (school counseling office)

  • Elementary Schools: Click here to find elementary schools' phone numbers.

These are some of the school and community resources available:

  • Transportation assistance

  • Before/after school care

  • Health services

  • Academic support

We're happy to work with you and we're looking forward to hearing from you!