Orange County Public Schools is officially reactivating its absentee notification policy today in a move that underscores an urgent response to a tragic event that occurred earlier this year. As reported by ClickOrlando, this policy adjustment comes as a direct response to the death of 13-year-old Madeline Soto, whose absence from school went unnoticed until it was too late.
The policy, originally approved in March, was temporarily halted but is now set to ensure that parents are notified not only at the end of the school day but also immediately should their child fail to appear for classes. The intention is to quickly alert parents of any unexplained absence which could potentially be a sign of danger. High schools will start sending notifications at 8:55 a.m., elementary schools at 10:05 a.m., and middle schools at 11:05 a.m., shortly after school sessions begin, enabling parents to immediately start looking into their child's whereabouts if needed.
According to a report by FOX 35 Orlando, the policy is a reaction not only to Soto's tragic death but also to the outpouring of support from an online petition, which garnered over 12,000 signatures, demanding the district to revise its absence notification time. The district is now also urging parents to opt-in for text notifications.
Orange County Public Schools encourages families to sign up for the additional text notifications by sending "Yes" or "Y" to 68453, as additional support to voice and email notifications.
