District updates compulsory‑attendance policy; highlights shift to 'student family advocate' role

District staff reviewed revisions to Policy 3150 (renamed Student Attendance and Compulsory Education) that reflect recent legislative changes and operational clarifications for attendance handling.

Staff explained the draft clarifies that excused absences cannot require documentation and that the policy will explicitly state homeschool students are excused from compulsory public school attendance. The draft replaces the term "truancy officer" or "truancy official" with the district's preferred term "student family advocate," the staff member said, to emphasize outreach and family engagement rather than punitive measures.

The draft distinguishes procedures for elementary versus secondary compulsory‑education violations and clarifies interventions should focus on identifying barriers (transportation, family circumstances) rather than punitive steps. Staff also noted procedure language will spell out documentation and annual verification processes for exemptions (for example, homeschool status) and that student services will work to create an electronic verification pathway.

Board members asked about operational details, including whether schools still require a signed vacation excuse form and how administrators and school resource officers handle returning a student to campus if a student runs from school. Staff said administrators or school resource officers are the adults who would return a student to school and that student family advocates should generally not perform custody actions alone.

Staff recommended posting the draft for public feedback and returning it for a second reading at the April meeting. No formal board adoption occurred during the study session.