Salem schools report fewer absences and tardies, tighten device enforcement and roll out SmartPass

Deans and administrators updated the Salem School Board on May 20 about changes to attendance, tardy and electronic‑device procedures at Salem High School and Woodbury School, and described a mid‑year rollout of an electronic hall‑pass system called SmartPass.

Why it matters: School leaders said the changes aim to reduce classroom interruptions, identify students who need extra support sooner, and limit misconduct tied to personal devices. Administrators reported measurable declines in absences and tardies through mid‑May and described enforcement steps and new tracking tools.

Attendance and tardies: Stephanie Nichols, a dean of students at Salem High School, said the district revised attendance procedures this year to allow parents five parent‑excused absences without documentation; after five such absences, staff now expect documentation (doctor, court, hospital) for further excused absences. Nichols emphasized that an unexcused code primarily triggers outreach rather than automatic disciplinary penalties, and noted teams use those flags to connect families with supports.

Administrators reported comparative year‑to‑date figures: Salem High School absences dropped from 11,634 days last year to 9,773 this year (1,861 fewer days). High school tardies fell from 9,044 to 5,637 (about 3,400 fewer tardies); middle‑school tardies declined from 5,489 to just over 4,000. Nichols and colleagues said those declines reduce classroom interruptions and allow staff to intervene earlier for students with chronic absence patterns.

Nichols and other staff described follow‑up options for chronically absent students, including team meetings, involvement of guidance and community services, and referral pathways where appropriate. The deans noted that when absences rise to levels required by state reporting, the district can involve the juvenile probation officer (JPPO) or DCYF to coordinate in‑home services.

Testing and academic make‑ups: Board members raised concerns about how unexcused absences affect exam integrity and teacher workload when instructors must create alternate assessments or accommodations. Administrators said these cases are handled individually and often involve a team approach; they acknowledged the extra burden on teachers and said the district is discussing appropriate academic responses for long projects and assessments.

Electronic devices and hallway conduct: Deans reported 39 recorded device violations at the high school this year and 14 at Woodbury. Administrators said the district has clarified classroom expectations (teachers ask students to put phones away, use classroom wall caddies, and call a dean for repeat refusals). For repeat cases the deans said they will “hold the phone for them in a caddy in 1 of our offices and the students can get their phone at the end of the day,” and that more serious incidents — for example videos taken in restrooms — have prompted SRO involvement and possible suspension under handbook rules.

Board members also noted a pending state legislative proposal reported in media coverage that could impose a bell‑to‑bell phone ban; the administration said it is monitoring the proposal and will await its outcome before making policy changes at the district level.

SmartPass electronic hall‑pass system: Administrators described a SmartPass pilot launched in October and rolled out building‑wide in February. The system lets staff create and approve passes, displays student photos and countdown timers, flags overdue passes in red and produces analytics. Features discussed include a default cap (the deans set a four‑pass daily cap for restroom/water/locker use), an auto‑end after 40 minutes, and an “encounter prevention” setting that prevents two students with a no‑contact status from being approved out of class at the same time. Administrators said SmartPass data let them identify heavy hall‑use cases (one example report showed a student leaving class 35 times in a week, totaling nearly four hours) and place individual pass restrictions when needed.

Woodbury School administrators said single‑use restrooms and team classroom structures reduce hall‑pass strain compared with the high school and that staff continue to use written passes there.

Next steps and policy work: Administrators said the student handbook and code of conduct will be revisited over the summer. They recommended continued clarifications on device expectations, consideration of targeted restrictions for students who misuse phones (for example temporary bans on bringing phones into school after serious incidents), and continued SmartPass refinement with vendor support.