Attendance Changes for 2026–27: What Families Need to Know

A new statewide definition of "absent"

Starting in the 2026–27 school year, a student is counted absent for the day if they miss 50 percent or more of the instructional school day. This rule comes from the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) and applies to every public school district in the state.

In practice, this means arriving late or leaving early can now count as a full-day absence if your child is in school for less than half the day. Our district has updated our student information system, Skyward, to calculate attendance this way. We will post any new guidance from RIDE on this page.

Why the change

Until now, each Rhode Island district defined attendance in its own way, so attendance numbers could not be fairly compared across the state. One shared definition gives a truer picture of how much class time students miss. It also helps schools notice sooner when a student may be struggling or losing connection with school, so we can offer support.

Late arrivals and early dismissals: the half-day rule

When a student arrives late or leaves early, school office staff will record whether the student was present for at least half of the instructional day. That decides how the day is reported to RIDE.

RIDE will allow a limited number of excused tardies and early dismissals per student to be removed from accountability reporting. RIDE has not yet set that number; we will share it here once it is announced.

Days your child is not required to attend

State rules allow a few situations when a student is not expected to be in school. These days will now have their own attendance codes, so they will not count as absences:

• Staggered school openings at the start of the year
• Kindergarten screening days
• Graduation dates
• Approved exemptions from midterm or final exams

Suspensions

The same half-day rule now applies to suspensions. A day counts as a day of suspension only if the student misses more than half of the instructional day. If a student is sent home partway through a day after attending more than half of it, that day is not reported as a suspension day.

How families can help

• Plan appointments outside school hours when you can. If that isn't possible, try to schedule them so your child is in school for at least half the day.
• Tell the school office whenever your child will be late, leave early, or be absent, and follow your school's usual note or call-in process.
• Check attendance in Skyward Family Access. Teachers take attendance every class period, and those period records now add up to the daily total. If something looks wrong, contact your school's main office.
• Watch for patterns. Several late arrivals or early pickups can add up to absences under the new rule.

Frequently asked questions

Does an excused tardy or early dismissal still count? It is still recorded. If your child is in school for less than half the day, the day counts as an absence. RIDE will allow a limited number of excused tardies and dismissals to be set aside for reporting; that number has not been announced yet.

My child left for a doctor's appointment at lunch. Are they absent? It depends on how much of the instructional day they attended. If they were in school for at least half the day, they are counted present with an early dismissal.

Why might my child's attendance in Family Access look different than before? Daily attendance is now calculated from every class period of the day, instead of a single homeroom or advisory check. Our schools are adjusting their schedules in Skyward to support this.

When does this take effect? The new definition applies to the full 2026–27 school year. Skyward's updated calculation is being put in place during the fall of 2026.

Who do I contact with questions? Your child's school main office.