Parent urges New Lothrop board to revise attendance rule after student told she may not walk with class

President Wendy Vincke opened the April 21 meeting of the New Lothrop Board of Education where visitor Kimberly Ryan asked the board to reconsider the district's attendance policy after her daughter was informed she must attend three Saturday schools to be eligible to walk with her graduating class.

Ryan told the board her daughter has 12 absences this semester, seven of which were accompanied by doctors' notes; one absence was for a required job-shadowing activity that the family says is part of graduation requirements. Ryan said neighboring districts (Montrose, Chesaning, Durand, and Owosso) do not count doctor-documented absences toward absence limits and asked the board to clarify and adjust its policy so decisions are handled equitably on a case-by-case basis.

The request came during the public-comment portion of the meeting; the board did not take immediate action or amend policy that night. The policy under discussion limits students to eight absences per semester for certain eligibility outcomes. Kimberly Ryan asked that the board review whether the district should exempt medically documented absences or required educational activities from that limit.

Board members did not debate or vote on an attendance-policy change during the session. The board's agenda that night included several routine motions and capital purchases; the attendance concern was recorded under public comment for future consideration. The board's next workshop is scheduled for April 28, 2025, which is a possible opportunity for further discussion.