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Board hears plan to tighten excused‑absence rules; doctor’s note to be required for illness absences
Summary
District staff described a proposed change to the attendance regulation: moving to the six excused‑absence types in state code and requiring a physician’s note to excuse illness absences rather than a parent note, along with a communication plan to families.
Mister Yu, staff member, explained a proposed change to the district’s attendance regulation during the new business portion of the meeting.
He said the regulation will recognize the six specific excused absences established in state code and, as a district policy decision, will treat student illness as excused only when supported by “a note from a physician or a doctor.” Yu said this is a change from the district’s prior practice, which accepted parent notes to excuse illness.
“The rationale behind this is, as always, we want to recognize that student seat time in school has the most significant impact on their continuous growth,” Yu said, adding that the change is intended to encourage parents to use medical visits and to provide documentation so the district can more consistently apply attendance rules.
Yu outlined a communication plan: an initial notice from his office explaining the change, revisions to parent and student handbooks, and follow‑up messaging from building principals to families about what the change does and does not mean.
The board discussed the regulatory change in the meeting but did not vote on the regulation that night; Yu said the district will roll out communications to families to explain the new standard.
