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Committee updates attendance policy to reflect habitual-truancy rule; members press for clearer notices and makeup-work guidance
Summary
Policy 204 was presented in first reading to reflect state law that a student with six or more unexplained absences may be labeled habitually truant and face limits on transfer to cyber charter schools; committee asked staff to strengthen family notices and consider sample makeup-work guidance to reduce inconsistent teacher practices.
The Wallingford-Swarthmore School District policy committee reviewed a redlined draft of Policy 204 (student attendance) in a first reading, highlighting changes required by state law and discussing administrative regulations on family notifications and makeup work.
Staff told the committee the state now defines ‘‘habitual truancy’’ as six or more unexplained absences in the same school year and that, under the updated law, a student labeled habitually truant cannot transfer to a cyber charter school unless a judge determines it is in the student’s best interest. That change was the primary driver for revising Policy 204 and for adding explicit notification language to the administrative regulation (AR).
Committee members raised several operational questions. They asked staff to confirm that the district does not currently operate an online program and to remove boilerplate references that create confusion for families. Members also pressed for clearer language on how families will be notified as students approach habitual‑truancy thresholds and requested that staff consider a sample makeup‑work policy because practices currently vary by teacher and building.
On exemptions and excused absences, the committee discussed how the AR handles bona fide religious‑group requests; staff said written requests from parents are rarely turned down unless clearly bad faith. Members also asked whether use of behavior/504 accommodations is triggered by a specific absence count or handled case by case; staff said accommodations are considered based on circumstances rather than a single numeric threshold.
The committee did not take a final vote and asked staff to refine the AR language and notification procedures before returning the policy to committee and then to the full board.
