Changes in the state attendance and drop-out policies have St. Charles Parish Public Schools administrators worried.
The new legislation allows students to miss almost half the amount of days that they were previously allowed to miss. In high school, students will only be allowed to miss five days per class. They were previously allowed eight days per course.
Elementary and middle school students will only be allowed to miss 10 days per school year, down from the previously allowed 17 days per year.
Elementary or middle school students who miss more than the allowed number of days will be held back. High school students who exceed the maximum number of missed days for a specific class will have to repeat that class.
Jerry Smith, director of child welfare and attendance, said she is concerned that students and parents will not understand the new requirements and that it could cause problems.
“We’re very concerned… we’re hoping that parents will respond accordingly so that their students won’t miss out on the opportunity to advance on to the next grade level,” she said.
Superintendent Rodney Lafon also said that he is concerned about “how little room there is for error” when it comes to the amount of days students can miss.
“My concern is that the first year or so people will be lax,” he said.
The policy regarding parents writing notes to excuse their children has also changed.
Before, if a child went over the amount of days that the state department allowed them to miss, a parent could provide a note or a medical note and they would be allowed to advance to the next grade.
“Now the parent can write two parent notes per nine weeks for elementary and middle schools and four parent notes per semester at the high school level,” Smith said. “However, if the child has exceeded whatever the cap of days is, the parent can’t write any notes and medical notes will only cover their absence if they’re out three consecutive days or more.”
If a high school student misses three days of school, or an elementary or middle school student misses five days, the Child Welfare and Attendance Department will intervene. The department will let parents know that their child is in danger of reaching the maximum number of missed days.
Extenuating circumstances may apply to student absences when:
• they are due to illness lasting longer than three consecutive days with a doctor note,
• they are in observance of special or recognized holidays of the student’s faith with a note from the clergy,
• there is a death in the immediate family,
• there is a natural disaster or catastrophe,
• a parent or legal guardian is a member of the U.S. Armed Forces or National Guard and has been called to or is on leave from overseas deployment to a combat zone or combat support post.
• prior principal approval is granted for educational travel.
Drop-out policies state-wide have also changed.
Parents will no longer be able to sign their 17-year-old children out of school. Whereas 16-year-olds qualify for a GED waiver under very limited criteria, 17-year-olds do not qualify and will have to attend school.
“My concern would be for those 17-year-olds who kind of neutrally agreed with their parents that when they turned 17 they’re going to drop out,” Smith said. “If they don’t go to school, that would render them truant and if you’re truant you can be referred to the court system for that.”
Smith said that the school system will work very hard to make students and parents aware of these changes throughout the year.
For truancy prevention, that means meeting with students, making home visits and trying to make connections to help them understand that by law they will have to be in school, Smith said.
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