The Archuleta School District (ASD) Board of Education (BoE) will be considering an updated absentee policy for approval at its next regular meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 2, in the Pagosa Springs Middle School library at 309 Lewis St.
The board considered the first reading of the updated policy at its regular meeting held on Aug. 5. The board did not take action on the first reading of the updated policy, but recommended changes for it to be brought back for a second reading.
During the Aug. 5 meeting, Superintendent Rick Holt explained that “the policy has been problematic in the past” with it differentiating between excused versus unexcused absences.
Holt commented that would it make sense to have excused and unexcused absences, “however, families are wise to what’s considered an excused absence,” adding that “those excused absences do stack up.”
He mentioned that the district has seen kids missing “a significant portion of school,” indicating the district does not have the tools nor the policy in place to address those situations in a formal way.
Holt explained that he was proposing the district move away from things like counting excused absences to a percentage-based system for student attendance.
“Part of this came through what we see with chronic absenteeism,” he said, noting that once a student falls below the 90 percent attendance rate, “the state is concerned.”
He also mentioned that the middle school and high school campuses count attendance fractionally, meaning that if a student misses one period for the day, that absence still counts toward the student’s overall attendance rate.
Holt mentioned that in the case of a student missing the first period regularly, the“attendance percentage is actually reflected in that.”
Holt also noted that the district plans to inform families of the policy through newsletters.
“We’re gonna start by informing everyone of what the ground rules are,” he added.
He mentioned that in mid-October the district will begin contacting families that have already dipped below the 90 percent mark.
Holt also explained that the policy would have enough flexibility to account for situations like injuries or illness where a student is expected to return to class without needing to have a support plan put in place.
“So, giving us the flexibility to individualize our approach,” he said, mentioning that with it being a percentage-based attendance system if a student dips below the 90 percent mark and returns to attending as normal, “it may come right back up.”
Holt went on to explain that the policy also provides another reference mark for when students fall below 85 percent attendance.
Holt commented that a 90 percent attendance rate is essentially missing one day of school every 10 days, or two weeks, adding that “seems rather generous actually that you would miss 10 percent of the learning opportunity.”
He explained that for students who fall below the 85 percent mark, there are strategies to put in place “that we know work.”
Those strategies include things like developing a family support plan and working with transportation needs, Holt mentioned.
He also mentioned that for families that do engage with the district about improving attendance rates, “we would like to continue with our current practice” which involves contacting the municipal court and having conversations about truancy with parents “who aren’t engaging in public education like they’re required by law.”
Holt noted that those cases would be referred to the municipal court if attendance percentage rates continue to decline, but that there would be a different process for students who live outside of the district.
“Also, because our out-of-district attendees may not be referred to a municipal court if you live outside our school district, but you attend school here, municipal court isn’t going to manage those families,” Holt explained.
He also explained that those students would be withdrawn from the school, stating that he “feel[s] its a privilege to attend the Archuleta School District if you’re outside of the attendance area, and if you are unwilling or unable to meet our minimal attendance expectation,” then the student would be withdrawn from the school.
Holt noted the district had students withdrawn last year after 20 unexcused absences occurred.
He also mentioned that the 85 percent attendance mark is “well below” the district’s average rate of about 92 percent.
Holt also explained that the proposed updated policy would clarify some things about being “habitual truant,” giving the district another tool when dealing with families that “fall off the radar.”
He noted that being habitually truant means having four or more days a month, or up to 10 times a year, where there is no explanation for the absence.
Holt also explained that the district attempts to engage with families to prevent students from being habitually truant.
“We believe that this revised attendance and absence policy will give us one more tool to help increase our attendance rates,” Holt said. “It does drastically increase the expectation.”
BoE member David Iverson asked that some clarification be put into the policy in regard to how attendance can be counted fractionally at the middle school and high school levels.
“One nice thing about percentages is you can fix it,” Holt commented.
In response to a question from BoE member Tim Taylor, Holt explained that historically assistant principals have contacted parents with absence issues, but that an attendance coordinator would be dedicated to be the “first line of informing” parents.
Holt noted that if a situation becomes more complicated, principals and administrators would be brought in as necessary.
Holt also commented that the district’s approach to its attendance policy includes informing families at the start of every school year what exactly is outlined in such policy.
“If you’re gonna hold somebody accountable for something, you should have great clarity on what that is and why,” he said.
In response to another question from Taylor, Holt explained that the BoE does have the freedom to set a different percentage in the policy, but that after looking at the district’s attendance data, he felt like the 85 percent mark gives families enough “wiggle room” while still holding people accountable.
Holt also noted that “as always with policies,” it is written to have for preapproval for absences for things such illnesses and family trips.
“We can exclude those days,” he said.
He further explained that the district would still have excused and unexcused abscesses, with unexcused absences being tracked and counted toward truancy, or being habitually truant.
“And these are just unexplained days,” Holt commented, adding that, “The reality is even excused days detract from the learning.”
In response to a question from Iverson, Holt explained that excused absence days would count toward the student’s attendance percentage, but that it gives the principal flexibility to approach certain situations.
Holt also explained that absences for sporting events would not be counted as an unexcused nor an excused absence, but would be noted as an “out-of-school activity.”
clayton@pagosasun.com
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