Attendance Policy Revisions
Proposed shift to verified/unverified absences with caps, tiered interventions, and extracurricular consequences directly affects students, families, and equity considerations including METCO and chronic illness.
Attendance policy revisions were developed through a two-year review and presented across three June 2026 school committee meetings. The committee discussed shifting to verified absences with caps and interventions but took no vote, instead embedding the sections in a handbook draft approved for school council review with summer finalization required. Equity impacts for specific student groups remain a noted concern.
The attendance policy revisions originated from a two-year data review by district staff comparing procedures across peer districts and identifying issues with class cuts alongside inequities in family verification processes.
On June 9 the school committee received a formal presentation outlining a shift from excused/unverified language to verified/unverified absences, course-specific semester caps, and tiered interventions, with further discussion of chronic-illness access, partial-absence thresholds, and extracurricular eligibility.
The following day the committee continued examining implementation details such as parent notifications, Aspen system changes, and balancing accountability with student supports, though no vote occurred.
By the June 23 meeting the attendance procedures had been incorporated into a reorganized Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook draft; the committee reached consensus to let the school council approve the overall document while the attendance and academic-integrity sections were finalized over the summer.
The revisions carry direct effects on grading, make-up work, transcripts, and eligibility, with noted equity implications for METCO students and those facing transportation or health barriers.
No formal committee vote on the attendance sections has been taken, leaving the framework in draft status pending summer operational work by principals and the Aspen team.
Finalize attendance procedures and academic integrity language over summer; return final version to school committee before start of school year
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