School Board reduces number of students’ allowed absences

Benjamin Grove

Friday, Sept. 11, 1998 | 10:43 a.m.

Beginning next semester, middle and high school students in Clark County who miss 10 classes -- for excused or unexcused absences -- will fail the course and may have to repeat their year of schooling.

That's according to a new policy adopted Thursday by the Clark County School Board. The old policy allowed students 18 absences before automatic failure.

The new policy also says that high school students who fail three courses may be referred to an alternative education program at the school or at one of the district's alternative schools.

Another section of the policy states that elementary pupils who miss 20 days of school may have to repeat the grade.

Board members said they hoped the new rules would cut down on truancy without dramatically increasing the drop-out rate.

"I look to administrators to use this policy to the students' benefit, not to remove a student from class," board president Susan Brager said.

The seven-member board and district administrators have been working on the new truancy policy for about a year.

The policy is separate from a stricter new state law that says students who skip just three classes can face court appearances, fines or losing their driver's licenses. School officials are still working out how to enforce that law.

The board's vote came Thursday after several principals, students and parents said the 10-absence policy was not overly harsh.

"The standards we are talking about are not high standards," said business owner Glen Woods, a father of two high school students and one middle school student. "I don't have any need for an employee who comes to work only nine days out of 10."

Cimarron-Memorial High School junior Lindsey Kemp argued that giving students 18 absences did not teach them responsibility.

"Students who push the 18 days use them as vacation, not sick days," Kemp said. "If you have them, why waste them -- that's the mentality of many students."

Several parents and students also said the board's new policy does not solve the larger issue of why students ditch class.

"You're trying to put fear in students who have no fear," Cimarron student Ebonee McGhee said. "What can we do to get these students more involved? What can we do to put the fun back in school, put the fun back in learning?"

Board members agreed. Board member Shirley Barber suggested launching a new study to find out why students skip school.

"What are we doing and what can we do to make sure these students want to go?" Barber asked.

The policy states the parents will be notified of their children's absences. An attendance advisory panel will keep the board informed of how the new policy is working and track absence statistics.

Counseling and meetings with parents are common forms of "intervention" with students that administrators said they hope will prevent students from reaching 10 absences.

"We can spend millions of dollars on new schools, tout the finest technology, hire the best teachers," said Ruth Joseph, district attendance administrator. "But none of these benefit students who aren't at school."