CSF Takes Step to Revise Attendance Policy; Parents/Guardians of Habitual Offenders Could Face Action by County Prosecutor

CSF Takes Step to Revise Attendance Policy; Parents/Guardians of Habitual Offenders Could Face Action by County Prosecutor

FRANKFORT, Ind, – The Frankfort School Board took a step towards updating the district attendance policy at its Tuesday meeting by approving the High School and Elementary schools (Blue Ridge, Green Meadows and Suncrest) attendance policies, while the Middle School had not yet submitted its plan. The Middle School plan should be ready at the next board meeting September 13.

Over the past two-years CSF has not been able to do much in terms of enforcement of an attendance policy due to Covid-19. However, now that many of those restrictions have been removed, the district is wanting to have students in school for instruction.

“There was not much over the past two years that we could do about attendance,” said CSF Superintendent Dr. Matt Rhoda after the meeting. “We had to be pretty flexible.”

“Coming into this year, we want to get back to we need kids in the buildings. We want to be able to have expectations for parents of getting kids to school, but we also want to show that we’re going to help support them if there are some struggles. We want to be able to work out through a contract at day seven being missed about how we can help the kid get in the seat of the school.”

The school board’s proposed attendance plan offers a four-step, progressive notification process with the final step involving the matter being turned over to the county prosecutor for further action.

Dr. Rhoda explained the steps, “It’ll be five [misses] with a letter [home], seven [misses] will be a contract and 10 [misses] will be a certified letter to say, if, if you get to 11, you go to the county prosecutor.”

Parents will be notified of the attendance policy change via the district’s automated notification system.

Brett W. Todd is the managing editor of Clinton County Today. Clinton County Today is a community-focused website to provide individuals of Clinton County Indiana and surrounding areas with information impacting their lives. Clinton County Today is a service of Progressive Partners of Indiana, LLC where Brett W. Todd is its managing member.