Changes to a school-wide attendance policy which among other things requires students repeatedly missing school to make that time up in order to be eligible to graduate will be one of the topics for consideration later this month when the Buchanan County School Board meets July 20.
  The new attendance policy was listed as heard on first reading at a meeting of the board last month, however, it was not discussed or detailed.
  South Grundy School Board member David Thornbury made the motion to approve the new policy as presented as to its first reading. The vote was unanimous.
  Garden Chairman Steve Hamro III said after the meeting the new policy was the work of a committee he appointed in January. The committee was comprised of elementary-middle and high school principals.
  The committee was chaired by Grundy High School Principal Leslie Horne.
  Hamro commended the committee for its work and central office administrators for their input on the policy as well.
  The new policy, as proposed, is broken down into an elementary-middle school policy and a high school policy.
  The high school policy introduction notes that "student attendance is a cooperative effort and the School Board shall involve parents and students in accepting the responsibility for good attendance" and it lays the responsibility for "regular and punctual attendance at school" squarely on the parent or guardian having control or charge of a child within the compulsory attendance age, as required by state law.
  "A reasonable effort shall be made to contact a parent/guardian of each absent student every day, and to obtain an explanation for the student’s absence, where there is no indication that the student’s parent is aware of and supports the absence," the policy notes. A log will be kept of call attempts.
  The new policy also requires students to attend a full day of school, unless otherwise excused. Exceptions are made for those enrolled in cooperative work-study programs. Any other exceptions to the policy must be approved by the superintendent or his designee on an individual basis.