Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Attendance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Anderson 5 board tables proposal to cut parental excuse days for student absences
Summary
After public comment and discussion with truancy officials, the Anderson 5 Board of Trustees voted to table a proposed change reducing allowable parental-excused absences and asked administration to draft a consistent parent-note policy for first reading next month.
The Anderson 5 Board of Trustees on Thursday tabled a proposed revision to student‑absence policy JH that would reduce the number of parental‑excused absences accepted per school year, after parents, district attendance staff and a county board representative urged a more considered approach.
Parents and staff told the board the proposed cut from 10 to 5 parental excuses could impose financial and mental‑health burdens and create inconsistent application across schools. "Five parental excuses is one real stick and out of touch," said Lindsey Scanlon, a parent of seven, describing situations where families rely on rest rather than a doctor's visit for common illnesses. "This would put an unnecessary financial burden on our family," she said.
Cynthia Wensoff, a STEM teacher, urged the board to maintain supports that help students attend and engage in school. "I'd like to invite each of you to [see] this magic happen in person," Wensoff said while describing classroom STEM work; she also criticized what she described as a misleading social‑media post about the attendance policy.
Anna Hall, who described herself as working with truancy, attendance intervention and dropout prevention, said the State Board of Education regulation 43‑2‑74 allows districts to set how many parent notes they accept and that Anderson 5 currently lacked a consistent parent‑note policy. "At this time we've seen a variety of [school] practices as small as five parent notes to as high as 20 plus," Hall said, and the county board wants district‑wide consistency.
Susan Benenger, identifying herself as an administrator for the Anderson County Board of Education, told the board that county attendance officers handle truancy enforcement, and urged Anderson 5 to adopt a single parent‑note policy across elementary, middle and high schools.
Board members debated whether the district should wait for state guidance and how to avoid placing additional workload on school clerks and attendance staff. "We can make all the rules in the world, but if there's no consequences for the parents... we're putting undue stress on our staff," one board member said.
The motion to table the JH revision passed. The board directed administration to draft a district parent‑note policy and said staff should return with a first reading at the next meeting so the board can consider adopting consistent rules before the school year begins.
The board also discussed options for the allowable number of parent notes; several members said five was too low and asked administration to present alternatives. Board members emphasized coordination with county attendance enforcement so district policy leads to consistent, enforceable practice.
Next steps: administration will prepare a draft parent‑note policy and bring it back for first reading next month; the board discussed scheduling a special call meeting only if necessary to finalize the policy before school starts.
