New: Report Absences in PowerSchool

Parents and guardians now have the convenience of reporting their child’s absence directly through PowerSchool. This new feature ensures that all required information is included and correct when submitting an absence, as parents will be logged into their PowerSchool account. It also streamlines communication and reduces the need for secretaries to follow up on missing information for absences submitted via email or voicemail.

This option was piloted at Waukee High School, and the feedback has been positive. Beginning March 17, any parent/guardian in the District can submit absences through PowerSchool using the following steps:

• Log in to PowerSchool’s parent portal through a web browser.
  • IMPORTANT: This cannot be done via the PowerSchool app. You must use a web browser on your computer or phone.
• Select the student.
• Select “Attendance Monitor” from the menu.
• Click the “Report New Attendance” button.
• Enter the date(s) for the absence.
  • If this is not a whole-day absence, choose “no” from the dropdown and enter the start and end times.
• Enter the explanation for the absence.
• Click “Submit.”

Parents/guardians will receive a confirmation email. (Note: the email comes from noreply@waukeeschools.org and may end up in the SPAM folder.)

For more details, see these step-by-step instructions or watch this video.

While PowerSchool offers an easy way for parents/guardians to submit absences, parents and guardians still have the option to report absences by calling or emailing the school secretary. Contact information for each building can be found on our website.