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 changes and communication steps that do not require board approval, but changes that redefine excused/unexcused reasons would await the board vote.

The presentation included recent district attendance data: chronic absenteeism declined from 29.5% in 2022 to 25% over the last two years, the daily attendance rate is about 92%, and the district's truancy rate is 2.6%. Duffels also noted grade‑level disparities: kindergarten chronic absenteeism was 19.5% and eleventh grade was 37.6% last school year.

Concern from parents and board members centered on the proposal's documentation and communication requirements. A family member who described herself as impacted by prior procedures said the notice and documentation requirements had caused distress and barriers to access, including the practical cost and timing of obtaining medical documentation. "It was devastating," the resident said, recounting confusion and multiple contacts; she urged clearer, less punitive communication and more direct supports for families.

District staff responded that the draft uses the phrase "suitable proof" and allows school health staff, such as a nurse or health aide, to provide documentation where appropriate. Officials also described a new workflow element that asks building principals to designate a staff member to make a personal contact with families once a student has missed seven days, plus a districtwide "Here today, ready for tomorrow" positive attendance campaign that includes posters, social media and school web pages to encourage earlier engagement.

Staff told the board the district created a chronic absenteeism reduction team and has automated parts of the attendance workflow using Infinite Campus, Frontline and Blackboard to get clearer notices to families. The district also said it will continue to work with Larimer County court officials; prior truancy referrals produced short-term gains but were costly and inconsistent, and the district said it plans to meet with the new magistrate to reassess that partnership.

Board members asked several clarifying questions about whether a student could lose a chronic‑absentee designation, how IEP‑related absences will be handled, and whether the policy makes reasonable allowances for families who lack timely access to medical care. Duffels and Rasmussen said habitual truancy (ten unexcused absences within a 30‑day period, under state rules) cannot be retroactively erased for the record but chronic absenteeism (a percentage) can improve if attendance increases; the district intends the support plan to provide a route to resolution and more intensive, individualized supports.

The administration told the board the draft policy preserves local discretion in operational details such as how tardies count at different school levels; the policy language aligns procedures by level (elementary vs. secondary) rather than locking exact minute thresholds into board policy. Staff asked trustees to submit any specific wording suggestions before the next reading because the board will vote on the proposed revisions at the Nov. 19 regular meeting.

Clarifying details announced at the meeting include the district's current data points (29.5% to 25% chronic absenteeism improvement), kindergarten and eleventh grade rates (19.5% and 37.6%, respectively), a district target to call families at seven days absent, and a planned first sale for the Turner Middle School snack cart on Nov. 19 at 2 p.m. (presented earlier in the meeting). The board did not take a formal vote on the attendance policy in the study session; staff requested the board's feedback before the formal vote at the next regular meeting.