KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Osceola School District changed its school attendance notification policy this week following the disappearance and death of 13-year-old Madeline Soto last month.
The school district confirmed that on Monday, it implemented a new policy that calls parents regarding their child’s absence if the child is not in school without prior notice.
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For high school students: calls regarding morning attendance will start going out at 9 a.m., except for students in dual enrollment in the morning, since they don’t have a first period where attendance is taken.
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For elementary school students and students at New Beginnings Education Center, attendance calls will start going out at 10 a.m.
Middle, K-8 and Osceola County School for the Arts attendance calls will start going out at 11 a.m.
The school district says it will also make calls regarding high school student attendance by period starting at 3:45 p.m.
Parents can also set up an account to view daily attendance in the Parent Portal on the Osceola Schools website.
A spokesperson for the Osceola School District did not specifically say that the Madeline Soto case precipitated the change in notification.
“This new schedule of calls is being implemented with a primary focus on enhancing the safety and security of all students, and is especially important in situations where a student may be unexpectedly absent from school without prior notice,” the district spokesperson said.
Kissimmee police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the disappearance and death of Soto, who was reported missing on Feb. 26 and found dead on March 1 in Osceola County.
Soto’s mother said the girl was supposed to be dropped off at Hunter’s Creek Middle School in Orange County. Soto’s mother said she didn’t know her daughter wasn’t in class until the end of the school day.
Orange County Public Schools is also changing its absence notification system with additional notifications. Those changes are expected to kick off on April 8.
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