With the start of the 1987-88 5chool year came a new and more strict attendance policy. The new attendance procedures are as follows. Upon the third absence in any class within a semester, the school will make a reasonable attempt to contact the parent or guardian by phone or letter to report the absences. Upon the sixth absence in a given class, the school will review the attendance record, and unless there are extenuating circumstances, a parent will be notified by certified mail of the consequences should absences persist.

The letter will inform the parent of the absences, inform the student and the parent that upon the ninth absence the record will again be reviewed and if there are no extenuating circumstances. credit for the course will he removed and placed on hold with an “H” appearing on the report card, along with the appropriate grade indicating level of achievement. If the student remains in class and if the attendance behavior and achievement are acceptable, credit may be restored and an appropriate grade assigned at the end of the semester. When credit has been placed on hold after nine absences, any subsequent excused absence requires that time missed must be made up.

The letter will also inform both student and parent should a tenth absence occur and it is unexcused the student will lose the credit, be withdrawn from the course and given a “W” grade. Which will appear on the transcript and will be included in the calculation of the grade point average. The student will be assigned to a supervised study area for the remainder of the semester. A letter will inform parents that if they wish to request a parent conference, they may do so by calling the office of the assistant principal.

“It’s not the policy that’s working it’s the students, it’s their own motivation to be in class.” Robert Bloenk, Assistant Principal

When asking Robert Bloenk, assistant principal if he thought the new attendance policy was working, he said, “It’s not the policy that’s working it’s the students, it’s their own motivation to be in class.”

Bloenk thinks this new attendance policy is well put together because it focuses on motivation for student’s success.