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Committee advances student‑attendance revisions after clarifying how partial instruction counts as attendance
Summary
The committee voted to forward MSBA‑aligned revisions to Policy 503 (student attendance), during which members clarified that brief periods of instruction or supervised services can count as attendance and that attendance counting conventions differ by grade level.
The Faribault Policy Committee on Tuesday approved sending proposed revisions to Policy 503 (student attendance) to the school board after discussion about how districts count attendance when pupils receive only partial instruction or services.
A committee member asked whether a student who received only an hour of instruction or a visit from a school social worker would be counted as present for the day. The chair explained that attendance-counting practices differ across grade levels — at the elementary level the district often counts attendance by half‑days, while middle and high schools count by period — and that if a student receives supervision, instruction or services during the school day that contact can be counted toward attendance under the proposed language.
Committee members noted the MSBA additions to Article 2 and Article 3 and referenced updates to the term "habitual." After discussion the committee voted to forward the revisions to the school board by a recorded 5–1 vote.
The changes move to the school board for final action; no board-level decision was taken at the committee meeting.
