Sick Students & Attendance Notifications

Posted November 14, 2022, 10:50 AM. Updated January 26, 2026, 2:59 PM.

APS families may get attendance texts and emails even when students have a legitimate reason, like illness, for missing school.

Updated on January 10, 2023

Students need to be in school to learn and succeed, so APS sends notices to families when they are absent. The notices offer tips and resources for families struggling to get students to school.

When Students Are Sick

Good attendance can be interrupted by illness, especially during cold and flu season and while we are still dealing with COVID.

Students who are sick or in quarantine may need to miss school, especially if they are contagious. Families are asked to inform their child's school, so these absences can be marked as excused. Remember, students can make up missed classwork.

Families with questions about sending students to school may contact their school nurse. Another tool is the district's When is Sick Too Sick videos in English and Spanish.

In addition to contacting a student’s nurse with questions and information provided in the video, the following information is available on the district’s website regarding COVID-19 guidelines.

When you are sick
COVID test options
When you test positive for COVID
When you test negative for COVID (applies to those experiencing symptoms
When you are in close contact of COVID

Ways to Keep from Getting Sick or Getting Others Sick

COVID-safe practices are not only effective for mitigating the spread of COVID-19, but they also help reduce the spread of other respiratory illnesses such as the cold, the flu and RSV that are currently widespread. Provided below are some effective ways to keep from getting sick or getting others sick:

Wash hands and/or use hand sanitizer regularly throughout the day
Practice proper cough/sneeze etiquette
Consider wearing a mask - unless returning from contracting COVID-19, masks remain optional
Stay home when you are sick

Families Get Absence Notifications Even When Students are Sick

Because APS sees every day of attendance as important, families may still receive a text or email notification even for excused absences. APS must track all absences, excused and unexcused, and let families know when their child misses school.

Missing 5 Percent of School Days

Families will get notified when students miss 5 percent of school days, no matter the reason. They are encouraged to work with teachers and the school to get make-up classwork to help students get back on track. The more school students miss, the more they risk falling behind.

Missing 10 Percent or More of School Days

Families that get a letter saying their students have missed 10 percent, 20 percent, or more of school days -- even if those absences are due to illness or a medical condition -- should set up a meeting with the school to discuss ways of keeping students engaged in learning. This may mean working with the school nurse on a health plan for students with chronic or complicated health conditions. In some instances, having a plan will allow the district to stop sending families notices about student absences temporarily.

Missing 20 Percent or More of School Days

Letters that say a student has missed 20 percent or more of school must, by law, include language that says that the Children Youth and Family Department (CYFD) could be contacted. This is because missing this much school puts students at high risk of getting behind.

Please rest assured that if the absences are only due to illness and the school nurse has a health plan for the student, families won't be referred to CYFD.

Again, remember that APS sends families notices about student absences so that they know and can partner with their child's school and the district to help students learn and succeed.