Student urges board to soften attendance rules, cites cost barrier to doctor's notes

Olive Greenfield Bauer, a Garden City High School student, urged the Garden City Public Schools Board of Education to revise the district's attendance policy, saying the rule that restricts participation in senior activities after more than 10 unexcused absences unfairly affects students who cannot afford repeated medical co-pays.

"I think this unrightfully targets students who can't afford the $60 co pay every time they have a sore throat," Olive told the board during the public comment period, adding that peers have reported co-pays of $40 to $100 and that bereavement allowances are too short for some families.

Olive read statements from other students and parents who described financial obstacles to obtaining doctor's notes and recounted the emotional toll of limited bereavement time. She said the policy can force sick students to attend school and asked the district to consider alternatives such as allowing a school nurse or school doctor to excuse students when appropriate.

District leadership responded later in the meeting. The superintendent (speaker 6) said the attendance policy includes exemptions for bereavement, doctor notes, court visits and college visits and noted there is a restorative attendance-recovery process available for students who are near the 10-day threshold. He said staff have arranged follow-up meetings for students at risk of losing event privileges to discuss attendance recovery options.

The board did not take immediate action to change the policy at the meeting; Olive asked the trustees to consider the student perspective and to seek ways to reduce financial barriers to excusing absences.

Next steps: the transcript records that staff have been meeting with affected students and that district administrators addressed the policy's exemptions; no formal policy change or timeline for revision was announced.