Attendance programs on hold for Knox County high schools

[Lola Alapo]

By Lola Alapo
Posted October 20, 2009 at midnight


The Knox County school system will temporarily suspend all high school attendance incentive programs on the recommendation of local health officials.

The Knox County Health Department was concerned because of "some fairly pervasive reports that students were coming to school sick," Schools Superintendent Jim McIntyre said Monday evening after the Knox County school board mid-month work session.

Some of the attendance rewards included students dropping a low grade or being allowed to opt out of a quiz, McIntyre said. Sick students were attending school so they would be eligible for those incentives, and health officials viewed it as "a public health issue."

"We want our kids to be in school," he said. "But we want our kids to be in school when they're not legitimately ill."

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[Heather Marshall]

Bravo Mr. McIntyre!! Thanks for taking the 1st step and suspending all high school attendance incentive programs!

Students attending school ill is not something new this year, the incentive to drop a student's lowest test grade for missing 2 or less days of a high school class makes "GOOD" students attend school sick. It does not give incentive for students who do not care to come to school.

[Bob Hunter]

Don't think it will make a bit of difference - the kids coming to school "ill" or "when they don't feel well" are the kids that are concerned about their education and know that missing time has an impact on their grades. They don't do it for the incentives but I personally hate to see them lose them. And honestly I don't buy the "fairly pervasive reports" either. Let me see some HARD numbers and we will talk but until then I think we need to think about the real message we are sending and I am not sure it is the right one considering the current status of our students in the US or the world.

[Debi]

The question is, what about NCLB & the mandatory attendance percentages required of it? Is that still in effect? I celebrate common sense, and this seems to be it. we don't need sick kids at school.

[Doug McCaughan]

One of the biggest attendance incentive programs is Knox County's attendance policy with its "take the parents to court" ramifications. Will this be suspended? See, when a student has had a number of unexcused absences (5 I believe), the parents can be called before a judge. When a child has a fever, parents know that a busy pediatrician does not want to see the child nor can they do anything for the child. The fever has to run its course. However, the pediatrician won't write a school note without seeing the student. The absence won't be excused without the note. So the parent is left deciding between taking the child to the doctor and paying a co-pay for a note, OR sending the child to school sick. I bet this policy causes more students to go to school sick than the rewards for attendance.

Awards for attendance should be continued. Students who get perfect attendance are always very proud of their accomplishment. The benefit outweighs the risk.