School hours for full and half days.
Parents
This is the central hub for the Parents section of the Dexter Community Schools website.
LOOKING FOR BUILDING INFO?
If you are looking for information about a particular building, please use the pull-down SCHOOLS menu at the top right corner of your screen to access that school's site. At DHS, the resource page is labeled DHS Main Office because high school students utilize that information as much as parents do. Otherwise, use the links below to find the information you are looking for.
Hot Topics
General Info
- Attendance Policies and Procedures
- Back-To-School Forms Frequently Asked Questions
- Device Insurance
- Disenroll
Attendance Policies and Procedures
How and when to report absences and tardies for students at all buildings, including phone numbers. Parents/guardians of students in grades 7-12 must send a note or call the school within twenty-four hours of the day of their student’s absence in order to have an absence excused. If a call is not received within twenty-four hours after the return to school stating the reason for the student’s absence, the student will be considered unexcused for the day.
No student will be allowed to leave school prior to dismissal time without a written request signed by the parent/guardian or the parent/guardian coming to the school office to request the release. No student will be released to a person other than a custodial parent/guardian without consent of the principal. Being listed as an emergency contact implies parent/guardian consent. Students will be released to adults only. Authorized adults must present photo identification to school staff for students to be released.
DCS tardy policy spelled out by building.
Explanation of excusable absences; vacation policy; extracurricular participation attendance requirement; grades 7-12 excused absence makeup policy.
Back-To-School Forms Frequently Asked Questions
Back-to-School Info Review and Forms FAQ
Each year, parents and guardians of returning students must complete an information review and acknowledge receipt of the handbook and district policies. Emails with instructions to complete back-to-school paperwork online were sent to families on the week of August 21st. It is important that you complete this process as soon as possible. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions.
What if I didn't get an account email to review my student's information? Check your spam folder and then contact your child's school office for further assistance.
The formatting looks weird on my phone, how can I fix this? We have found that it is difficult to complete these forms on a phone. We suggest you use a tablet, laptop, or desktop computer. You can do this at the library or school offices if you don't have access to those devices at home, just let us know and we will have a device ready for you.
How do I know when I am done? When you click on Forms on the left side of your screen, then click on the All Forms tab in the window that opens, check that all the items in the Returning Students list and the All Students list have either a green leaf (submitted) or a yellow leaf (submitted but awaiting approval). If there's a blue leaf (empty), the form still needs your attention. We will send reminders out to families who do not complete all the forms.
How can I upload supporting documents? I am having trouble doing it in the system. If you have difficulty uploading documents directly into your parent account, you can email them or bring them in to your school office. Changes of address won't be complete without supporting documents.
How long will it take for pending forms to be approved? It may take a few days during the busy season. Please contact your school office if you have urgent information that you want to make sure is up-to-date.
Where can I get my student's PowerSchool ID Number to pay for school lunch, etc.? Your class placement letter will have it or your school building can provide it.
Why can't I list myself as emergency contact or pickup person for my own kid?! Parents and guardians are by default the first people we contact for those issues (unless there is legal paperwork indicating otherwise.) Emergency contacts and school pickups are permissions for people OTHER THAN PARENTS AND GUARDIANS to be able to be back-up for students. You may see old indications of yourself as an emergency contact for one kid or not another - we are working to clean up this data. When parents are listed as emergency contacts, it can interfere with the system's ability to send confidential information because we don't send that to emergency contacts.
Device Insurance
Families may purchase optional insurance for their school technology devices between August 1st and September 30th each year. Here is the link to purchase insurance or pay a deductible for a repair.
This optional insurance protects you from having to pay the full price of the repairs if accidents should occur. The Power Adapter is not covered under the optional insurance. Without the optional insurance you will be responsible for the cost of the repair(s). For questions, please contact Rick Munir at munirr@dexterschools.org
Devices by Grade:
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Y5-2nd - iPad
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3rd-11th - Chromebook (some grades 9-11 DHS students may be issued MacBooks depending on their course of study needs)
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12th MacBook Air
Disenroll
Updating Student Information in PowerSchool
- Change of Address
- UPDATING STUDENT CONTACTS IN POWERSCHOOL
- Updating Student Medical Information in PowerSchool
Change of Address
State law requires us to maintain current records of all students' residence. Please choose the applicable situation from the list below and follow the directions. You will need to verify that you live at the new address. See below for acceptable proof of residence documents.
For moves within district boundaries:
- Change your student's address by logging into PowerSchool and using the Student Address Update form. Directions to update student address are here.
- If you will need bus service at your new address, please complete the Transportation Plans Form.
For Schools of Choice Students:
- Change your student's address by logging into PowerSchool and using the Student Address Update form. Directions to update student address are here.
For Families Moving Out of District Boundaries:
- Change your student's address by logging into PowerSchool and using the Student Address Update form. Directions to update student address are here.
- If you move after October Count day, your student may finish the school year in Dexter, but you will need to apply for Schools of Choice status and be accepted to continue in Dexter in subsequent years. The schools of choice application windows are in February/March and late July. More details are on the Schools of Choice page.
For Students Who Move out of the district after the start of 11th grade and who want to graduate from Dexter:
- Change your student's address by logging into PowerSchool and using the Student Address Update form. Directions to update student address are here.
- Juniors who move out of the District do not have to apply for schools of choice status for their senior year. Instead, notify the DCS admin offices and we will obtain a residency release for the student to complete 12th grade here.
FOR TWO-HOUSEHOLD FAMILIES WHERE ONE HOUSEHOLD MOVES OUT OF THE DISTRICT:
- The address on the student's record should be the location where they stay most of the time. Change your student's address by logging into PowerSchool and using the Student Address Update form. Directions to update student address are here.
- As long as one parent or legal guardian is a Dexter resident, a student is eligible to attend Dexter, even if they don't reside with the parent/guardian who lives here. However, the address should still be updated in PowerSchool to reflect the primary household. Contact the school office if you have any questions about making this info accurate in PowerSchool.
Proof of Residence Documents
At enrollment, and any time you change your address, you will need to verify your eligibility to attend Dexter Community Schools. This applies to all students.
- "In District" students are those who live at an address within the DCS district boundaries. Students of divorced parents who have at least one parent living within DCS boundaries are eligible to attend Dexter Schools, regardless of which parent has physical custody.
- Schools of Choice students' residency documents must verify that they live in the Washtenaw Intermediate School District or a contiguous Intermediate School District (ISD).
We need two documents to verify residence:
ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:
- Most recent property tax statement from your issuing tax authority;
- -OR- Closing papers for a recent sale–feel free to redact financial info and/or social security numbers. There are several documents in a typical closing packet which can be used. We need one legal document that includes the following: the property address, parent or guardian name, and date of sale;
- - OR- Contract to build a house with estimated completion date;
- -OR- A lease in your name;
- -OR- A lease in your name and a written statement from the landlord that utilities are included;
- -OR- A notarized statement from a Dexter Schools homeowner/taxpayer indicating that you share living space and the dates of residence (for example, in the case of living with relatives or friends long-term), in addition to that person's proof of residence.
AND:
- A utility bill or confirmation of service in the parent/guardian's name at the address: water, electric, cable, gas
OTHER INFO
- Parents and guardians of students who are considered homeless per McKinney-Vento guidelines should complete the Temporary Residence Statement. No further documentation is required. More information is available on our Student Support Services page.
District Boundary Maps:
- Dexter Community Schools District Map
- Washtenaw County School Districts Map
- Michigan ISDs and ESAs Map
- If you are moving households and are unsure whether a particular address falls within the DCS boundaries, please contact our central offices at info@dexterschools.org or 734-424-4102. The county mapping software used to verify addresses can be complicated to navigate, so we are happy to assist you searching for a particular address.
UPDATING STUDENT CONTACTS IN POWERSCHOOL
Use the Updating Student Contacts form in PowerSchool to add or remove emergency contacts, people with permission to p[ick up students, and relationships with existing contacts. You can do this at any point during the year. Contact edits must be approved by a secretary,
- Update your student's contacts by logging into PowerSchool and using the Student Contact Update form. Directions to update student information in PowerSchool are here.
- If your student's custodial arrangements have changed and will affect who has permission to pick them up, etc., please provide a copy of the legal judgement or agreement documenting that change to your school office. We cannot enforce custodial arrangements without legal paperwork.
- If the Transportation department has agreed to transport your student to a regular care arrangement, the care provider must be listed as an emergency contact,. The arrangement must be in writing and on record in the Transportation office.
Please note: parents and guardians should not designate themselves as emergency contacts. We always contacts parents and guardians first in an emergency. In the event that we can't reach you, we contact your emergency contacts. Listing a parent or guardian as an emergency contact can preclude receiving important information via email because the system does not send confidential info to emergency contacts.
Updating Student Medical Information in PowerSchool
Effective Fall 2023, we will be exclusively using PowerSchool forms to update student medical information.
Families can update student medical information at anytime by logging into PowerSchool and using the Student Health Update form. Directions to use PowerSchool forms to update information are here.
Permission forms that allow staff to dispense student medication at school, as well as self-carry forms, allergy information, and other medication information, can be found on the Health forms tab of our District Nurse page.
