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APS committee considers making civic participation excused and weighing mental-health days
Summary
The Atlanta Public Schools Policy Review Committee reviewed proposed edits to policy JB to permit limited excused absences for civic or political participation and spent substantial time debating mental-health day carveouts and a proposed eight‑day flexible absence bank. The board tabled action pending data and staff input.
The Atlanta Public Schools Policy Review Committee on March 19 reviewed proposed changes to the district's student attendance policy (JB) that would allow up to two school days per year as excused absences for lawful civic or political participation, provided parents give at least two school days' notice.
Senior Policy Advisor Carolyn Barnett presented the language change, which lists meetings of public agencies (including the Georgia General Assembly, city councils and county commissions), legislative hearings, peaceful protests, community organizing activities and voter-education events as examples of qualifying civic participation. Board members asked for clarification on related carveouts already required by state guidance.
The committee shifted into a broad discussion about mental-health days and how to avoid subjective or easily manipulated excusal practices. Several members said neighboring districts handle similar needs under broader "personal illness" categories or with existing excused-absence language rather than an explicit "mental health day" label. Board members and student representatives also proposed non-policy interventions such as mental-health first-aid training for teachers and increased on-site counseling capacity.
A concrete alternative advanced during the meeting was a single bank of eight excused days per 180-day school year that students and families could use for a range of reasons (civic participation, illness, college visits). Board members calculated that eight days equals about 4.44% of a 180-day year, below the commonly used 10% threshold for chronic absenteeism, but they emphasized the need to guard against unintended consequences.
The committee did not adopt any policy change. Members asked staff to return with data and legal crosswalks: representation from the student attendance office, feedback from the superintendent or designee (Dr. Johnson), and comparative examples from other districts. The item was tabled until the next Policy Review Committee meeting so staff can report back with implementation considerations, state-board rules on excused absences and potential outreach to student advisory groups.
What happens next: staff will research other districts' approaches, verify how state board rules intersect with proposed language, and prepare to brief the committee at its next scheduled meeting on April 16.
