Gulfport schools start year with tighter attendance rules and revised student transition schedule

Gulfport School District’s 2026-27 back-to-school guidance sets a limit of five excused absences per semester and establishes new thresholds for medical documentation and parent or guardian notification.

The district posted the guidance July 15, 2026, as students and families prepared for the new school year. The rules affect how district families document absences, when they can expect formal notification from the school system and how a student’s attendance is counted during a school day.

Excused absence and documentation rules

Under the published guidance, students may have no more than five excused absences in a semester. The limit includes absences supported by a parent note as well as absences supported by medical documentation.

For illness or injury absences, written documentation from a medical provider is required beyond the third occurrence. The guidance also says parents or guardians are to be formally notified when a student reaches a third absence, whether the absence is excused or unexcused.

The district said its attendance changes align with Mississippi Department of Education guidance. The published material describes the rules as Gulfport School District policy; it does not characterize them as a statewide requirement.

How daily attendance is counted

A student must attend at least 66% of the school day to be counted present for a full day, according to the district’s guide. That standard is separate from the semester limit on excused absences and gives families a benchmark for how partial-day attendance is recorded.

The guide does not provide the prior absence limit for comparison. It also does not say whether the attendance policy will be reviewed or revised after the first semester.

Start dates and school-year breaks

Most Gulfport students’ first day for 2026-27 was July 24, 2026. Sixth- and ninth-grade transition activities began July 23, one day before the first day for most students.

The district also listed three intersession breaks: Sept. 28 through Oct. 9; Jan. 4 through Jan. 8; and March 22 through March 25. Those dates are part of the district’s published school-year schedule and provide the identified calendar markers for families planning around classes and attendance.

The July 15 guide is the district’s published direction for the 2026-27 school year in the source packet. The packet identifies no later attendance-policy revision or additional attendance deadline.