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Superintendent says excused absences will carry no consequences as board approves student handbooks
Summary
The North Adams Community Schools superintendent told the board that revised elementary attendance wording and matching disposition charts mean absences coded exempt or excused "carry no consequences." The board approved the student handbooks and related policies unanimously.
The superintendent presented a revised elementary attendance section and matching disposition charts for the district student handbooks and said the change ensures that any absence coded as exempt or excused carries no consequences. The board voted to approve the handbooks in a single motion and recorded the vote as 7–0 in favor.
The revisions align attendance verbiage across elementary and other handbooks and add a chart that clarifies definitions for exempt, excused and unexcused absences, habitual truancy, and the K–6 truancy prevention plan. The superintendent said the change is intended to reduce inconsistent application of consequences and to provide a clear reference for auditors and families.
Board members asked about the practical application of the five-day limit and parent notification requirements. The superintendent said the handbook still requires parental contact in many cases and that administration prefers to work with parents to resolve attendance issues, adding that "98% of the time, great cooperation and things get resolved." The board approved the handbooks together (elementary, middle and high school) in a single motion.
In the same discussion the superintendent noted the district will produce parent-facing materials before school starts to explain the changes, including an infographic about phone-use and attendance changes. Next procedural steps: the approved handbooks will be incorporated into district materials before the start of the 2024–25 school year.
