BURLINGTON – Although the new attendance policy prompted by a new state regulation is already in effect for this school year, revisions to the language are already being proposed to the School Committee.
The policy was passed on July 1, and School Supt. Dr. Eric Conti declared that after working with it for several months, some alterations have been recommended by those analyzing it locally.
The vast majority of the language in the Burlington school attendance policy, including the definitions for “excused” and “unexcused” absences, comes from the state regulation. Most of the policy is comprised of keywords and their meanings.
Conti asked the board to look at the definition of the word “notify” in the policy. The initial indication in the policy passed in July suggested that when parents were notified of an absence or tardiness, it had to be in writing via letter. It has since been clarified that parents can be notified by telephone, which is something that is viewed as much more efficient and direct.
“When a child is late, we will call parents because it is the better way to do it compared to sending a letter out,” explained Conti.
The superintendent also revealed that some “clarification” is being exercised in regards to the “excused” and “unexcused” absences or tardiness parts of the policy.
Examples of “excused” absences or tardiness include documented illness, injury, or medical appointment; bereavement/family funeral; major religious observances; legal appearances; and extraordinary family circumstances (excused at the discretion of the principal).
Examples of “unexcused” absences or tardiness include repetitive or chronic absence or tardiness due to illness or injury not documented by a doctor; truancy; family vacations; undocumented absences; and non-emergency family situations.
Conti emphasized that a principal can use their discretion to change an “unexcused” absence to an “excused” absence, depending on the situation.
As part of the policy, when a student has accumulated five “unexcused” absences in a school year, a call will be made to the parent or guardian. Two “unexcused” absences in five days, will also lead to a call being made to a parent or guardian. Conti affirmed these aforementioned situations are already implemented and utilized.
“We are concerned that mailing letters will not be as efficient as a phone call,” said Conti, noting the mailing of letters strategy in the original language may have come from a district with 100,000 people where school faculty doesn’t have the time or need to get familiar with families. “A district like that, you really do not know people, but a simple phone call can take care of that for our district.”
This point hits on the fact that the state mandated attendance policy has been devised because of truancy and additional absentee issues taking place at high levels in other districts throughout the state.
The School Committee expressed concern pertaining to the fact that in the policy, a doctor’s note is needed in essentially any case where a student has to miss school due to sickness, otherwise it will be chalked up as an “unexcused” absence. This worries the board because it puts a lot of undue burden on parents.
“If you are a parent and your kid wakes up in the middle of the night feeling ill and you keep the kid home from school, does that count as an ‘unexcused’ absence if the kid does not get a note of confirmation from their physician?” asked member Thomas Murphy, Jr.
Conti replied, “Yes, or you can talk to the principal, who can make it an ‘excused’ absence. All we want is to know is that the child is safe and with a parent.”
Murphy declared his understanding of that, but cited the practicality versus the “black-and-white” aspect of the policy.
“This may be one of those things where the way it looks practically and black-and-white are two different things,” he stated. “I do not want parents to think they have to take their kid to a doctor every time they do not feel well, because then they have to get work off and make it a whole process when the kid may just have a fever and is feeling better the next day.”
Conti said there is “wiggle room” in the policy so parents won’t be in that burdensome situation, which is the right of each district, as each basically has the right to enforce its own jurisdiction.
“Our goal is to encourage kids to attend school because that is the purpose of the changes in the state law, but to do it in a way where we know most families and kids,” stated Conti. “For example, if a kid has a tendency to have migraines, we will realize that quickly and make sure it is deemed an ‘excused’ absence if they have to miss school. This is all about state legislature acting on a situation where there was truancy going on (in other districts) at high levels.”
Murphy added on to Conti’s last sentence about the state’s will to act statewide, when it’s really only a problem in some districts.
“That is why I want to make it clear to residents that this is another state policy that we are dealing with, and the state is trying to paint everybody with the same brush, and obviously that does not work,” he stressed.
The School Committee and Conti concluded the hearing by coming to an agreement that keeping some of the same language from the current policy in the revised policy is necessary and practical. Several members revealed that weren’t comfortable with a few words in the revised policy.
This school attendance policy revision was a first reading so a vote will likely take place at the School Committee’s next meeting.