> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.relyant.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Attendance settings

> Configure attendance statuses, the daily absence digest, marking reminders, and how parent excusals are handled

> [!NOTE]
>
> **Required role:** **Owner** or **Admin**. The **Daily Digest**, **Marking Reminders**, and **Excusals** settings require permission to update the organization.

Go to **Settings → Attendance** to control how your school takes and reports attendance. The page has four cards: **Daily Digest**, **Marking Reminders**, **Excusals**, and **Attendance Statuses**.

## Attendance statuses

Statuses are the options teachers pick when they mark attendance. Each status belongs to one category, and the category decides how it counts in attendance statistics: **Present**, **Excused Absence**, or **Unexcused Absence**.

New organizations start with these default statuses: **Present**, **Late**, **Sick**, **Excused**, **Absent**, and **Early Leave**. Default statuses show a **Default** badge and can't be archived.

### Add a status

**1. Start a new status**

Click **Add Status** at the top of the page.

**2. Describe the status**

Choose a **Category**, then enter a **Label** (for example, `Sick Leave`), a **Short Code** (for example, `S`), and a **Color**.

**3. Set its behavior**

Turn on any of the options under **Behaviour**, then click **Add Code**.

| Option | What it does |
| - | - |
| **Counts Against Attendance** | Includes this status in the absent count for attendance percentage |

> [!NOTE]
>
> **Requires Note** makes teachers add a note when they pick the status on the **Attendance** page. See [Take attendance](https://docs.relyant.app/edu/attendance/take-attendance.md#statuses-that-need-a-note). The status form also shows **Notify Parent**. It's saved but doesn't change behavior yet. Guardians get an absence email whenever a student is newly marked with an unexcused absence status, whatever **Notify Parent** is set to.

Drag statuses by their handle to change the order teachers see them in. To retire a status, open its menu and click **Archive status**. Archived statuses are hidden from marking, but existing records keep them. Click **Show** next to **Archived Statuses** and use **Restore** to bring one back.

## Daily digest

The daily digest emails a summary of absent students to staff.

1. Turn on **Enable daily digest**.
2. Set the **Send time**. The time uses your organization's timezone.
3. Under **Send to roles**, select at least one of **Super Admin**, **Owner**, **Admin**, or **Staff**.
4. Optionally add **CC emails** for people who should also receive it.
5. Click **Save**.

To check the email, click **Send Test**, pick a **Date**, and click **Send Now**. Test sends go out immediately and skip the school-day check.

## Marking reminders

Marking reminders email teachers whose classes have no attendance recorded yet for the day. Turn on **Enable marking reminders**, set the **Send time**, and click **Save**.

Only the assigned teachers of unmarked classes get an email. Nothing is sent on non-school days or when every class is already marked.

## Excusals

Parents can submit absence excusals from the parent portal. The **Require staff review of parent excusals** switch controls what happens next:

* **On** — the excusal waits in the review queue under **Attendance → Excusals**. The student's record changes to excused only after a staff member approves it.
* **Off** — the excusal is applied to the student's attendance immediately.

The switch saves as soon as you change it.

## Related pages

> [card] [School calendar](https://docs.relyant.app/edu/settings/school-calendar.md)
>
> Set school days so digests and reminders skip holidays.

> [card] [Parent portal](https://docs.relyant.app/edu/settings/parent-portal.md)
>
> Set up the portal parents use to submit excusals.


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