Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Attendance Notifications topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Everett officials clarify attendance rules; committee refers notification review back to sponsor
Summary
Officials explained EHS attendance procedure: building opens 7:30 a.m., home room begins 8:00 a.m., tardies recorded at 8:01 a.m. and home room ends at 8:07 a.m. The committee referred the attendance-notification item back to the sponsor for follow-up, including consideration of text messaging and contact‑info updates.
School leaders clarified how the district records attendance after committee members and parents raised concerns about incorrect absence or tardy notifications.
Dr. John Brager, principal of Everett High School, outlined the EHS schedule and attendance practice: building opens at 7:30 a.m.; students move to home room at 7:45 a.m.; home room begins at 8:00 a.m.; and the district begins marking tardy at 8:01 a.m., with home room ending at approximately 8:07 a.m. He said teachers and staff review attendance throughout the day and that if a student is present but marked absent teachers can flag and correct the record.
Superintendent Hart and Assistant Superintendent Dennis Lynch explained the current messaging path: the Aspen student-information system feeds SchoolMessenger for automated calls; the district recently restored separate text for 'tardy' versus 'absent' in notification calls to reduce confusion. Lynch said the district is evaluating text-message workflows and may need additional software to support SMS delivery.
Committee members and the superintendent stressed the two-way nature of recordkeeping — students should be in the correct classroom at the time attendance is taken, families should keep contact information current, and staff will correct errors when brought to their attention. The committee voted to refer the attendance notification discussion back to the sponsor for follow-up work on communications channels and parent outreach.
What happens next: Staff will explore SMS/text options, remind families to update contact information, and report back to the committee via the sponsor.
