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Attendance Coding Guidance Memo 

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ADMINISTRATIVE MEMORANDUM 

To: School Secretaries and Principals  
From: Dr. Bri Conley, Director of Educational Equity & Access 
Date: September 10, 2026 
Subject: Attendance Coding Guidance Memo 

As we continue implementing the new attendance law, it is important that tardies, late arrivals, and absences are coded consistently across schools. 

This guidance is especially critical for secondary schools (grades 7-12), where teachers may apply grade reductions related to unexcused absences and unexcused tardies. To ensure equitable application of this practice, attendance coding procedures must be aligned and consistently followed districtwide before unexcused tardies are used for grading purposes. Consistent coding practices support fair treatment of students and strengthen the integrity of district attendance data. 

A student who arrives late should not be changed to Present if they missed instructional time. Attendance records must accurately reflect the instructional time missed. 

Code Use When... Additional Guidance 
X - Office Excused Tardy The student arrives late (1-14 minutes) or tardy (15+ minutes), and a parent/guardian or the school provides a reason for the late arrival. Examples include appointments, illness, transportation issues, oversleeping, running late, family matters, meetings with school staff, testing, athletics, field trips, and other approved school activities. Do not mark a student as Present simply because the tardy has been excused. Always record the student's arrival time and the reason for the late arrival in the PowerSchool attendance comments. If a parent provides an explanation for the late arrival by phone, email, Edia, or a written note, use the X attendance code for the class period in which the student arrives. If the student missed one or more class periods before arriving at school, those periods should first be marked Absent and then coded as Excused or Unexcused, based on the reason provided. The X code should only be used for the class period in which the student arrives. Example: If a student arrives during Period 3, Periods 1 and 2 should be marked Absent and then coded Excused or Unexcused, as appropriate. Period 3 should be coded X. 
L - Late The student arrives 1-14 minutes late and no excuse has been provided. Use only for unexcused late arrivals. Do not change to X unless a parent/guardian or the school later provides an excuse.   Horizonte exception: Due to Horizonte's unique schedule structure, which includes shorter class periods and terms than traditional secondary schools, students are considered late at 5 minutes after the start of class.  
T - Tardy The student arrives 15 or more minutes late and no excuse has been provided. Use only for unexcused tardies. These tardies may impact attendance-based grade reductions in grades 7-12 if they remain unexcused.   Horizonte exception: Due to Horizonte's unique schedule structure, which includes shorter class periods and terms than traditional secondary schools, students are considered tardy if they arrive more than 5 minutes after the start of class.  
V - Verified Sluffing The student is on campus but intentionally misses class and remains in the hallway, restroom, cafeteria, or another area instead of reporting to class. Use according to your school's truancy/sluffing procedures. This is different from a student who is simply late or tardy to class. Each school should have a consistent process for identifying and coding verified sluffing. 
R - Released for School-Related Activity The student is out of class and released for an approved school activity (excluding seminary), such as a field trip, sporting event, choir performance, or visiting another school. Whenever possible, enter the R code proactively rather than marking the student absent and correcting attendance later. 
P - Partial Day An elementary student leaves school before the end of the school day. Use only when a student was present for part of the day and then checked out early.  Do not use P for students who arrive late. Students arriving after the start of the school day should be coded X, L, or T, as appropriate, and the arrival time should be documented in PowerSchool comments. 

Excused Absences and Excusal Timeline 

  • A parent's acknowledgment that a student was absent does not automatically make the absence excused. Under Utah law, a reason must be provided before an absence can be excused. 
  • Parents/guardians have one week from the date of the absence to provide the reason for the absence. If a parent or guardian contacts the school but does not provide a reason, the absence must remain unexcused until a reason is received. 
  • After one week, the absence can no longer be changed to an excused absence. Absences that remain unexcused after one week must be coded as a truancy in accordance with Utah law. 
Situation Guidance 
Parent provides valid reason for an absence through Edia The reason is automatically documented. 
Parent reports an absence by phone Obtain and document the reason before coding the absence as excused. 
Parent requests an excused absence but does not provide a reason Inform the parent that Utah law requires a reason before an absence can be excused. The absence must remain unexcused until a reason is provided. If a reason is not received within one week of the absence, the absence becomes a truancy. 
Student has a cumulative GPA below 2.0 The reason must fall within one of the categories identified in Utah law for the absence to count as excused. 
Student has a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher at the time of the absence A parent may provide any reason to justify the student's absence. 

Under Utah law (HB 145), absences may be excused for the following reasons: 

  • A physical or mental illness 
  • Family death 
  • Family event (in SLCSD this can include vacation) 
  • Observance of a religious holiday 
  • Participation in an approved school activity 
  • Competition in a rodeo sanctioned by an international, non-profit organization dedicated to the development of sportsmanship, horsemanship, and character in youth through the sport of rodeo 
  • An excuse consistent with the student's IEP or Section 504 accommodation plan 
  • Any reason a parent provides to justify a student's absence if the student maintains a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0, including an event related to participation in:  
  • Mountain biking 
  • Shooting sports 
  • A Utah State University youth development program that provides educational experiences in agriculture, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, civic engagement, leadership, and healthy living through hands-on learning, mentoring, and community-based clubs or activities 
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