The School Board had a second policy reading, for its proposed district wide truancy policy during its latest School Board meeting.
As part of the proposed policy, it states that the District “believes every pupil should attend school regularly.”
“The principal or his/her designee(s) has the authority to excuse students for absences due to personal illness; bereavement; family commitments or personal appointments which cannot be scheduled at another time such as lawyer, physician, court; compliance with the established ordinance for religious instruction or observance,” the proposed policy states. ” A student who is excused must, however, still fulfill the school’s requirements for advancement.”
The proposed policy explains that “Parents/ Guardians, students, school administrators, and teachers all have important responsibilities to ensure that students attend school and are on time.”
“Students have an obligation to attend school and to be on time for scheduled classes and scheduled activities,” the proposed policy states. “A student who has been absent from school on the day of a school activity taking place after school or in the evening is not eligible to take part in the activity unless advance approval of the absence has been given by the school administration.”
It states that parents have the obligation “to avoid whenever possible disruptions of the academic year by planning appointments and vacations at times that will not require students to be out of school. The building principal or his/her designee(s) is responsible for truancy issues.”
“The building principal or his/her designee (s) must submit attendance information to the superintendent’s office and must communicate with parents when a student’s attendance becomes a concern or as required by policy,” the proposed policy states. “School officials and parents/guardians must then work together to come up with a plan to address the child’s absences or tardiness.”
“Any absence that has not been excused for any reasons listed in JED-R will be considered an unexcused absence,” the policy reads. “Truancy and continued unexcused absences, including tardiness, will result in disciplinary action under The Disciplinary Code, Londonderry School District Policy JG.”
According to the policy, ten half days of “unexcused absence during a school year constitutes habitual truancy. A half day is defined as a student missing more than three hours of instructional time.”
“The principal, his or her designee(s), or the truant officer at each school is hereby designated as the district employee responsible for overseeing truancy issues,” the proposed policy states.
For the intervention process, it explains that if a student “has five days or ten half days of unexcused absences in the school year, the building principal or his/her designee(s) shall notify in writing parents/guardians.”
“In accordance with NH law, the building principal or his/her designee(s) shall enclose copies of RSA 193:1, this policy, and the student’s attendance record,” the policy reads.
It explains that if truancy continues past the 10 days “the building principal or his/her designee(s) shall schedule a meeting with the parent/guardian, truant officer, and appropriate school personnel.”
“The purpose of the meeting shall be to develop a plan to address the truancy,” the proposed policy reads. ” At the meeting, the building principal or his/her designee(s) and the truant officer shall inform the parents/guardians that additional unexcused absences may result in a report to the Division of Children Youth and Families (DCYF) and/or the filling of the appropriate action under RSA 169-D: 2, III (a) in the local district court.”
As part of the policy, if a student “fails to comply with the plan and has either 20 full days or 40 half-days of unexcused absences, the building principal or his/her designee(s) and the truant officer shall consult with the Superintendent to determine whether DCYF should be notified and/or court action filed.”
The proposed policy was sent to a third reading by the School Board without any changes.