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Trinity: Sick kids stay home
"We've suspended that this year because we don't want kids to be pressured to come to school when they really shouldn't and therefore spread the flu," said interim Superintendent R. Tim Marks.
He said he doesn't know what will happen in future years but that the issue will probably be reviewed down the road.
Some districts around the area are following a similar path because of problems with the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, while others are keeping their attendance rewards in place.
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He said he will bring the matter before the school board.
At one point, 40 percent of the student body was absent at the middle school. However, students have rebounded and now have only normal absences, Ferko said.
"We've come back," he said.
Carmichaels Area School District Superintendent Craig Bailey echoed much of what Ferko said.
He said the district does have an attendance reward incentive, and it is still in place. But there are no plans to lift it in light of the H1N1 virus.
"Right now, our absentee rates are about normal," Bailey said, but he did acknowledge he will discuss the attendance issue Monday with school administrators.
Southeastern Greene School District does not have a specific attendance rewards program. District Business Manager Pat Sweeney said he believes elementary grades give out some kind of award at the end of the year, but "nothing is formal," he said.
Avella Superintendent Wayde Killmeyer said the district had its first confirmed case of H1N1 this week. He said there have probably been more cases but doctors aren't sending for test results because they treat swine flu the same way as seasonal flu. Avella hasn't seen a huge spike in absences, he said.
The district isn't planning to alter its attendance policies, Killmeyer said. The high school policy allows for missing some days. If students have good grades and high attendance, they can be exempted from final exams, he said.
Like other superintendents in the area, he also is concerned what high level of absences could mean for making Adequate Yearly Progress status under the federal No Child Left Behind act. The state requires that school have 90 percent attendance or an improvement in attendance rates from the previous year.
The state has no plans to alter the attendance requirement, said Pennsylvania Department of Education Michael Race.
"Given that it's still relatively early in the school year, we'll wait to see how districts fare in terms of illness-related absences," he said.
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absent children : 11/2/2009
it is the same in peters township. if a child misses say, monday, tuesday and wednesday and the child knows of a test on thursday; the student is expected to take the test on thursday. It does not matter how much classroom instruction they miss. There is absolutley no tolerance for even legitimate illnesses.
Spelling not his strong suit! : 11/2/2009
whatever school district this guy is complaining about he sould ask to attend classes to help with his spelling problems
sick & school. : 11/2/2009
My mother is a fmr. teacher & sure she'd agree with those of you with gripes however, most other teachers expect kids to study while ill. -son of fmr. teacher
ludicrous : 11/3/2009
this is just out of hand.. people get the flu every year. Dont punish the kids just because they didnt get sick..... wrong The award was more so to award students that do not miss just for the sake of missing not being sick.. The purpose of them still taking a test on time is if they were givin more days after being absent then it would raise the number of absences because students are not ready for the test not because they are sick, its a lose lose situation, although i know teachers do give alot of the students more time, this is just more blown out reasons why the media has more power in the world then anyone.
kids stay home : 11/12/2009
yeah they say if your kid is sick keep them home. wrong we kept our kid home for a few days because she was sick and then we get a letter saying if she misses anymore days we will be fined. so it is a bunch of crap.
