Thompson School District school board reviews rewritten attendance policy aimed at lowering chronic absenteeism

Thompson School District R-2J officials presented proposed revisions to the district's attendance policy during the Nov. 5 study session, seeking to simplify policy language, align with state guidance and expand supports for students flagged as chronically absent.

Dr. Jennifer Duffels, director of student success, told the board the district will replace two existing policies and one regulation with a single policy and an exhibit that assigns roles and responsibilities across schools and the central office. "When we talk about chronic absenteeism, that's missing 10% or more of the given school days at that point in the year," Duffels said, using the state definition adopted for the proposal.

The draft policy would do the following: clarify types of excused absences (explicitly including mental‑health as medical), tighten the definition and parameters for prearranged absences, move expulsion-related language into the excused list where state law requires it, require an attendance support plan once a student reaches chronic absenteeism or habitual truancy thresholds, and add clearer expectations for makeup work and tardy handling. Duffels said the district has already implemented some nonpolicy workflow…