Parents press board for clear procedures after attendance policy revision; superintendent to follow up

During public comment at the North Shore School District board’s July 8 meeting, parent Tara Droney urged the board and administration to pair the revised attendance policy with a districtwide procedure, training and clear multilingual family communication. "The policy language itself isn't the main challenge. The real issue has been how it's been communicated and implemented," Droney said.

Droney described inconsistent practices across buildings during the 2023 rollout: "Families received inconsistent and conflicting guidance...Some families didn't know that they had just 48 hours to excuse an absence," she said, and noted that schools differed on whether email, handwritten notes or ParentSquare should be used. She supported policy changes such as clarifying excused absences for mental health and student safety, but warned that students lost test makeup opportunities or credit when procedures were applied inconsistently.

Context and board response: the attendance policy revision was part of the consent agenda the board adopted that evening. Board members and the superintendent acknowledged the implementation risk raised by Droney. President Amy Cast asked whether a procedure timeline was possible; Superintendent Irish replied, "I will look into that and also based on the public comment as well."

What the board requested: Droney asked the board to develop and distribute a districtwide procedure to accompany the policy, provide training and materials for building administrators and attendance staff, notify families clearly in multiple formats and languages before any negative academic consequences occur, and establish a transparent appeals process. The board did not adopt a separate procedure at the meeting; the policy revision was approved through the consent agenda and the superintendent committed to follow up on timing for procedure development.