“High school students absent from eleven class periods will receive a grade of F for that particular course. This rule applies to all absences, whether excused or unexcused.” At the start of the 2022-23 school year, CMS implemented this new attendance policy, greatly contrasting that of which was implemented the school year before. The 2021-22 attendance policy stated students with more than ten unexcused absences would receive a failing grade in that class. This attendance policy was implemented in response to the pandemic, which caused many students to miss class due to exposure to or contracting COVID-19.
As the pandemic waned, CMS made the decision to revise this policy in accordance with the drop in new cases. Despite the overall decrease in cases, COVID-19 is still very prominent in our community, causing many to question whether or not the policy is reasonable.
The new attendance policy also disproportionately affects minority students and children from troubled families. Students celebrating religious holidays that are not recognized by CMS must choose between their faith and their studies. Along with this, students from troubled backgrounds may have extraneous circumstances that require them to miss school. Situations such as these force students into complicated dilemmas in which they have no control.
To gather the opinions of those affected, I spoke to a student that has been impacted by the new attendance policy. Kennedy Ramseur, a junior who recently contracted COVID-19 and was forced to miss school, shared her thoughts regarding the new policy and how it has impacted her.
The interview began by asking Kennedy how she has been impacted by the new policy. She responded:
“I contracted COVID-19 a couple weeks ago and I missed, I already missed one week [of school], but due to CMS' attendance policy I was basically forced to return to school although I was still testing positive for the virus.”
Like many other students that have contracted COVID-19, returning to school before fully recovering from the virus was Kennedy's only option. Due to the attendance policy, taking the recommended five days to isolate just isn't possible for CMS students. This period would rack up at least 2 absences in each class for students in A/B-day classes, and 5 absences per class for those with semester-long classes, in the span of just a week. Students prioritizing the health of others would be left with little to no available absences for the remainder of the year. One never knows what could happen later on throughout the year, making the conservation of available absences a top priority. This is especially true with an attendance policy that penalizes students for both excused and unexcused absences.
Kennedy currently has 13 absences across all her classes and has an average of 2 absences in each class. Barely halfway into the school year, Kennedy has roughly 8 absences left in each class before she is failed. With such a limited number of allowed absences, students are forced to choose between the health of their peers and their studies.
When asked if she believes the new policy is fair, Kennedy said, “I do not.”
The interview continued with asking Kennedy what potential changes she would make to the policy.
“I would change it from being unexcused and excused to being just unexcused absences, and it also should not be 10 [absences]. I feel like it should be about 20 [absences].”
When asked for the reasoning behind her proposed changes, Kennedy said:
“COVID is still a thing. Especially with COVID and flu season, there is no reason why [the threshold] should be 10 excused absences if you are in quarantine, protecting yourself and others.”
The implementation of this new attendance policy was poorly-timed and apathetic considering the current climate in Mecklenburg County. With the continued presence of COVID-19, the passing of flu season, and the concern of masks weakening the immune system, an attendance policy that only allows 10 absences in each class is unacceptable.
This attendance policy is not only unfair to those with health problems, but also targets minority students whose religious holidays are yet to be recognized by the district. Students celebrating holidays such as Diwali, one of the most important Hindu holidays, that are not recognized by CMS, must decide whether they will fully participate in their celebrations or attend school. The recognition of holidays such as Diwali is an issue of its own, but due to the strictness of the attendance policy, there are no absences to spare for these celebrations.
If the district truly cared about the education and well-being of its students, those who are isolating and those with genuine reasons for missing school would not be penalized. This attendance policy puts both students and teachers at risk, and shows the lack of concern for students within the school board. The current attendance policy is extremely inconsiderate and should be revised before the next school year so that students no longer have to fear failing their classes because of a small number of absences. 🆅
The opinions expressed within this piece are solely the author's and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of North Mecklenburg High School or the Viking Voice.