Policies and Procedures

McMinnville School District believes that regular attendance is a major contributing factor to a student’s success at school.  Research shows that there is a direct connection between daily attendance and academic success. Even as children grow older and more independent, families play a key role in making sure students get to school safely every day and understand why attendance is so important for success in school and on the job. At the high school level, especially since we are on an A/B Block Schedule, missing school (even for one period) poses a big challenge for students, for it is extremely difficult to replicate the missed instruction and often times students find it difficult to come back to a class that they’ve recently missed. These issues are really intensified for students who miss the same class(es) multiple days in a row, which is why attending school everyday is a critical component to your child’s social, emotional and academic success. Therefore, the attendance policy at McMinnville High School is designed to assist the student to take responsibility for their own learning.

To change address or emergency contact information please contact the main office at 503.565.4200.

Excused VS Unexcused Absences

In order for an absence to be excused, it must meet the following criteria: illness/injury, necessary family travel, educational/occupational interviews, quarantine, bereavement, serious illness in the family, inclement weather, religious instruction, emergencies, legal/court appointments requiring the student’s attendance, or medical appointments.

Any student who has an excused absence may request homework from their teachers.

Contact your students teachers directly by email through your eSchool account OR by contacting the Main Office at 503.565.4103 or email. If you need your parent login/password for eSchool contact the Main Office.

An unexcused absence is defined as any absence not meeting the criteria for excused absences.

Parents are responsible for reporting a student’s absence, and the school is responsible for determining whether it is excused or unexcused.

Communicable Disease Control Measures – Guidelines for Exclusion

Reporting an Absence

Students are expected to be at school and in each scheduled class without being tardy, every school day unless they are ill or have a pre-arranged absence.

Parents/Guardians must call MHS at 503.565.4208 or email at MHS-Attendance@msd.k12.or.us prior to an absence; otherwise the absence will be recorded as an unexcused absence.

Attendance will be taken and recorded by teachers during the first five (5) minutes of each class. All truancies will be reported to an administrator who will follow up with the appropriate consequences.

Daytime Curfew

In July of 2003, the McMinnville City Council enacted an ordinance (9.40.025) related to daytime curfew. The ordinance states, “no minor between the ages of 7 and 18 years who has not completed the twelfth grade shall be in or upon any street, highway, park, alley, or other public place during regular school hours.”

The concept of a daytime curfew ordinance was proposed by a committee composed of citizens, school officials, and members of the McMinnville Police Department. It was proposed in response to concerns expressed by citizens regarding illegal behavior by young people who were believed to be of school age but who were not in school during regular school hours.

The ordinance requires students be enrolled and attending school during regular school hours. At McMinnville High School, this means between 8:30 a.m. and 3:25 p.m. Any student who is found to be off-campus by a police officer and/or school official during school hours, excluding the lunch period, will be apprehended and returned immediately to school. Additionally, the Yamhill County Juvenile department will be notified of the daytime curfew violation.

Once returned to school, the student will receive appropriate disciplinary consequences for truancy, parents will be notified of the daytime curfew violation, and a letter will be mailed to the student’s parent/guardian from the juvenile department of the violation.

Subsequent curfew violations shall include referral to the Peer Court program or referral to the juvenile department under the Parent Responsibility Ordinance. If the student is already under the jurisdiction of the juvenile department, more significant consequences may be imposed.

School-based consequences beyond those associated with an initial violation shall include referral to the school’s Dropout Prevention Team, referral to the Student Success Team to screen for other impeding conditions and, ultimately, to a recommendation for an alternative education placement.