Board tables attendance policy changes and deletes related administrative procedure

The Catawba County Board of Education on March 24 tabled a proposed revision to Attendance Policy 4.2 and approved the deletion of Administrative Procedure 4.2 AP (an administrative procedure related to final exam exemptions).

Why it matters: Attendance policy determines how excused and unexcused absences, tardies and remote-instruction attendance are recorded, and can affect course credit and grading. Board members asked for clearer numeric guidance for elementary and middle grades, including whether to codify limits on the number of parent‑note excused absences.

Policy background presented: Crystal Davis, presenting proposed changes from the North Carolina School Boards Association, said the draft reorganized sections, clarified when a student is considered “in attendance” (present at least half a day or attending an authorized school activity), and added wording for remote instruction and COVID‑related isolation ordered by public health authorities. She also said the draft clarifies makeup-work requirements and statutory notice requirements for excessive unexcused absences.

Questions and board action: Board members raised specific questions about numeric limits. One board member said she believed the district had earlier discussed allowing a limited number (for example, 10) of parent notes; others said they had discussed case-by-case approaches. Because the board had not reached agreement on the numeric guidance to include for elementary and middle grades, a member moved to table the policy until that guidance is inserted. The motion to table passed unanimously. At the same time, the board approved deletion of Administrative Procedure 4.2 AP, which the presenter said was an obsolete administrative procedure.

Next steps: Administration and policy staff will incorporate the requested numeric guidance and return the revised policy to the board at a future meeting.