COMPULSORY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
Attendance in school and participation in class are an integral part of academic achievement and the teaching/learning process. Regular school attendance develops patterns of behavior essential to professional and personal success in life. Beyond that, regular attendance by every student is mandatory. The State of Mississippi requires that every child in the state abide by the Compulsory School Attendance law. Parents or legal guardians have the responsibility for ensuring that students attend and remain at school daily.
In 2026, the state law related to school attendance was updated to provide new requirements for the number of school absences permitted, how absent students can participate in school activities, and the process for documenting, reporting and providing intervention for students who demonstrate chronic absenteeism. Please review our Snapshot Overview of the new law's requirements below or click to download a copy of the snapshot here.
Pre-Approval of Additional Excused Absences
If you know your child will be absent more than 5 days in a semester, please contact the school’s attendance office to complete the SOCSD Parent Pre-Approval or Request for Additional Excused Absences form.
This form must be submitted at least 5 days in advance for scheduled absences (study abroad, etc.).
If your child has an unplanned absence (beyond the allowed 5 days per semester), and you believe there are extenuating circumstances to warrant an administrative excuse, please contact your school principal to request an excused absence.
Attendance Resources
Click to view the SOCSD Attendance Presentation
Also in this section, please review the following resources:
Why does School Attendance matter?
School Attendance matters for our students AND our district! The district's Average Daily Attendance (ADA) reached in Oct/Nov determines much of our state funding for the entire year, and raising our ADA just a few percentage points can mean important increases in funds.
Beyond that, students can't learn and grow in academics, the arts, activities, and so many other areas if they are not in school to experience the excellent learning opportunities available. Missing even a couple of days each month can drastically impact a child's growth in key areas.
Contact our School Attendance Officer
Pamela Folsom, Oktibbeha School Attendance Officer
Office of Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement and Dropout Prevention
Mississippi Department of Education
Phone: 662-867-3020
E-mail: pfolsom@mdek12.org