CCHS Students May Face More Consequences For Unexcused Absences Beginning Next School Year

Missing school without a valid excuse may result in additional punishment for Cannon County High School students beginning the next school year.

In a letter which will be presented to the Cannon County Board of Education when it meets next Thursday, CCHS Principal Tim Knox writes, "We have had an increase over the past couple of years with unexcused student absences. We have spent some time addressing this at the school level with the hopes of reducing this trend.

"We are proposing to add some consequences for those students who have 10 or more unexcused absences to a class or classes in an attempt to encourage better attendance. The things we are going to do to try to improve the unexcused absences:

1. Students who drive and have a parking permit may have their parking privileges removed or suspended until attendance improves.

2. Students will not be prom eligible.

3. Students will not be senior trip eligible.

4. Students will not be field trip eligible.

5. Students face suspension from extracurricular clubs such as Beta, FFA, HOSA,etc.

6. Students face suspension from sports teams.

"There will be some ways the student can get back in good standing with this attendance policy on the 10 unexcused days such as simply showing a good attendance record after their 10th unexcused day. In order to be eligible for Prom or Senior Trip, the student would need to make 20 straight days of school attendance to pay back one of their unexcused days.

"This is the only proposed addition or change for the 2011-2012 CCHS Student Handbook. The 2012 Prom and Senior Trip Rules have had this added for approval."

Following is the agenda for the school board meeting:

AGENDA
CANNON COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
June 9, 2011
Cannon County Courthouse
6:00 PM

Recognition

1. Approve Agenda. – 1 minute

2. Consent Agenda – 1 minute

a. Approve the minutes of the May 9, 2011 meeting of the Board
b. Approve Bus Trip #1172
c. Approve Bonnie Patterson’s request to declare surplus equipment
d. Approve resolution to transfer funds from one account to another within a series for Food Service, Federal, and General Purpose
e. Approve resolution for budget amendment
3. Approve bids for main food/non-food supplies and bread for 2011-2012 school year. – 2 minutes

4. Approve changes to the CCHS Handbook/Policies. – 3 minutes

5. Approve Bus Bid. – 2 minutes

6. Approve Extended Utilization of Buses. – 1 minute

7. Approve Federal Projects Plan for 2011-2012 school year. – 1 minutes

8. Approve request by the State Auditor to approve the increase in travel mileage to $.46 per mile, effective July 1, 2009. – 1 minute

9. Approve School Calendar Amendment. – 1 minute

10. Pam Sonderman will discuss new Special Education discretionary grant. – 2 minutes

11. Update on CCHS transition position by Pam Sonderman. – 1 minute

12. Approve Special Education preschool grant and IDEA grant. – 2 minutes

13. Approve CCHS requests for students to take more than one summer course. – 1 minute

14. Discuss insurance agent options. – 3 minutes

15. Approve 2011-2012 General Purpose School Budget. – 5 minutes

16. Director’s Comments. – 3 minutes
a. Financial Report (if available) and Capital Outlay Report
b. Updates/Announcements –e4TN Grant and High Schools That Work Grant
c. Set policy workshop

17. Chairman’s Comments. – 2 minutes
a. Fall District Meeting
b. Continuing item-Sr. Center request
c. Director’s evaluation

18. The next Board Meeting Workshop will be at the Central Office on July 12, 2011 at 6 PM. The next Regular Board Meeting will be Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 6 PM at the Cannon County Courthouse.