Foxborough High School to Implement Stricter Attendance Policy

Students at Foxborough High School will have to deal with a stricter attendance policy next semester.

The school committee voted 5-0 last week to test a new attendance policy at the high school which will allow for more unexcused absence but will limit them per term.

The change came after a request last spring by members of the high school staff to look at the policy and see where changes could be made.

“It came out loud and clear that we needed a change to the policy,” math teacher Christine Relleva told the school committee.

Under the current guidelines, students get 14 absences with no regard for if they are excused or unexcused. If a student is out for a 15th day, the student risks losing class credits.

In the new policy, each student will get 5 unexcused absences per term, giving them 20 total for the whole year. If a student is out for a sixth time unexcused, the student will not receive a grade for that class but can regain the grade if they abide by the policy during the next term. A second consecutive term with more than five absences would result in a 59 for the initial term.

School committee member Beverly Lord praised the policy, calling it one of the best she’s read.

“You know there will be some students that push the envelope but it teaches them the responsibility of themselves,” Lord said.

Some school committee members were worried about a situation where a student goes on vacation outside the school’s vacation time but Superintendent Debra Spinelli said a student in that situation should not have a problem redeeming that grade in the next term.

Foxborough High School Principal Diana Myers-Pachla added that the school would not punish a student for a decision made by their parents.

The policy will go into effect as a pilot program at the start of the second semester in January. Afterwards, the committee will receive an update on the policy before deciding on whether to place it in the school handbook.