Proviso Township HSD 209 outlines Jan. 21 ‘reset’ of tardy and truancy procedures

Proviso Township High School District 209 Superintendent Chris Mobius and building leaders presented a “tardy and truancy reset” at a community meeting, announcing a set of new attendance and discipline measures the district plans to begin Jan. 21 to improve on-time arrival and reduce unverified absences.

School leaders said the changes are intended to improve student safety and instructional time. Principal Martinez told the meeting the goal is to create “a climate where learning is of the utmost importance” and to ensure staff can locate students quickly if an emergency occurs.

District and school officials described several new or expanded measures. The school purchased 14 ID-scanning “tardy pass” stations that will feed information directly into PowerSchool so passes can be printed and students routed to class faster. The stations will be placed around the building, with several located at unlocked bathrooms, and security staff trained to operate them.

District staff said passing periods will remain five minutes but will include a new auditory cue: when one minute remains, music will play…