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Millville student urges attendance policy change to allow mental‑health 'skip' days
Summary
Nathan Burden, a high‑school class historian, presented student survey data at the March 26 meeting and asked the committee to adopt a tiered attendance policy or a limited number of permitted mental‑health absences; the committee accepted his materials but took no formal action.
A Millville High School student pressed the School Committee on March 26 to revise the district attendance policy to address student mental health, citing a school‑conducted survey and state suicide statistics.
Nathan Burden, who identified himself as class historian for the class of 2028, told the committee he had surveyed his peers and presented results he said showed significant stress related to unexcused absences and limited access to outside mental‑health providers. He summarized his recommendations: either adopt a tiered attendance system with non‑punitive interventions, or explicitly allow some mental‑health 'skip' days (he suggested examples such as allowing three unexcused absences and one free excused absence per quarter while maintaining state required attendance days).
Burden told the committee that his school‑survey results found roughly 59.8% of respondents said having unexcused absences on their record causes them stress and that 71.9% said they did not have a therapist to speak to outside of school. He also referenced state Department of Public Health figures for context and urged that policy changes be in place before he graduates.
Superintendent Jill Peloquin and committee members thanked Burden for his research and a board member asked him to submit his materials to the superintendent's office; Burden handed out copies at the meeting. The committee did not vote on policy changes that evening and directed staff to review the presentation and follow up.
Why it matters Burden’s request frames attendance as a student‑wellness issue rather than solely an academic compliance matter. Any change to attendance rules — whether a formal allowance for mental‑health days or broader adoption of tiered, non‑punitive supports — would affect grading consequences, documentation requirements (for example, notes from medical providers), and how the district allocates counseling resources.
What the committee did The committee accepted Burden’s materials and encouraged staff review; no motion to change the attendance policy was taken at the March 26 meeting.
Source documents and numbers cited were presented by the student; the committee will require staff verification and legal review before any policy change.
