Schools' attendance policy is 'compromise,' McCary says

By Lynn Hotaling

Turning away from a June draft that stipulated students will receive failing grades if they exceed the maximum allowed number of absences in a grading period, members of the Jackson County Board of Education instead approved a plan that states the value they place on regular class attendance.

"Attendance in school and participation in class are an integral part of academic achievement and the teaching-learning process," states the policy, which was approved unanimously by the board.

The new policy also reminds parents and students that attendance at school is required by state law for children between the ages of 7 and 16 and specifies that absences longer than two days require a doctor's note in order to be excused. For single day absences to be excused, a student must bring a note from his parents within two days of his return to school.

All missed work must be made up to the classroom teacher's satisfaction, the policy states.

Three tardies will count as an unexcused absence, according to the policy.

The policy's main threat of enforcement comes after a student accumulates more than 10 unexcused absences.

At that time, if the principal cannot verify that parents have made a good-faith effort to solve the attendance problem, the principal must notify the district attorney or file a complaint with the juvenile intake counselor.

According to state law, absences recorded due to tardies cannot be counted if the matter is prosecuted, said Assistant Superintendent Nancy Sherrill.

The new policy specifies that high school principals may choose to impose additional penalties - including withholding credit and lowering grades - through their school's student handbook.

Also Monday:

- Acting Board Chairman James Roper presented a plaque to Lucille Bryson, mother of the late Martha Queen. Queen, who was chairman of the school board at the time of her death, was seeking a third term. She died July 13.

The plaque will be hung in the board room at the school system's Central Office, said Roper, and expressed the board's appreciation to Queen for her dedicated service.

Roper also presented Bryson with the gavel Queen had used when she presided over board of education meetings.

- School social worker Sandy Miller, who works at Blue Ridge and Scotts Creek schools, expressed her appreciation to former Smoky Mountain High horticulture teacher Nikki Young.

Young spent her own time drawing landscape plans for the new Scotts Creek School and brought her students to do some of the plantings, Miller said. Also, Young and her students made a number of stepping stones for use at the new school, Miller said.

Miller gave board members copies of a letter of appreciation to Young that was written by Scotts Creek Principal Wanda Fernandez.

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