Parent urges Philomath SD 17J to adopt shorter turnaround for missed work

A parent told the Philomath School District 17J board that current local practice at Philomath Middle School leaves some students waiting up to five days to receive missed assignments after an illness and urged the board to make a districtwide policy requiring teachers to provide work within two days.

"I'm not here to complain but ... my son is sick a lot and the policy at the middle school is that they will not gather up a student's homework until the student has been sick for five days," Laura Farmer said during public comment. She said most teachers have not consistently posted assignments on Google Classroom and that only one of her son's teachers responded reliably to email.

Board members and administrators said the board does not create site-level school procedures but can direct the superintendent and the policy committee to review handbook language and district policy. A board member said the first step is to have building administrators and the superintendent determine whether the practice is a handbook procedure or a district policy and to check consistency across schools.

District staff cited the student handbook language that allows parents to request a list of assignments "on the third day of excused absences," and said they will investigate discrepancies between three- and five-day practices observed by the parent. The superintendent recommended sending the matter to the policy committee for formal review.

The board did not adopt an immediate policy change at the meeting; instead it directed the superintendent to investigate how the district's handbook and school procedures align with board policy and to report back to the policy committee and board.