Attempting to “tighten the screws” on what administrators described as an attendance problem, Franklin High School is putting a hard limit of 15 absences per course starting this school year and revocation of parking privileges for excessive tardies.
Franklin High Principal Blair King and Assistant Principal Dan Gibson presented the new attendance and tardy policies as part of their student handbook revisions at the July 22 Macon County Board of Education meeting. The board unanimously approved the new policies.
The new FHS attendance policy allows up to 10 absences per semester for any reason. After 10 absences, students are eligible to use learning centers to make up class time, but can only do so up to five times. After 15 absences, a student fails the course.
“We are charged with preparing these kids for life after Franklin High School, we need to start doing that,” Gibson said. “And if people don’t like it, that’s fine, I didn’t take this job to make friends, I did it to make things better for these kids.”
Previously, FHS allowed students to make up unlimited absences through after-school learning centers, but they would fail a course if they had more than eight absences that weren’t made up.
Learning centers are now Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:15-4:50 p.m., eliminating Monday and Wednesday. Additionally, students can’t utilize learning centers on the same day as an unexcused absence. Gibson later said it’s also a cost-cutting measure.
Gibson said there’s a major issue at FHS with absences, highlighting one recent example.
“They (a student) didn’t have to be in school until 10 o’clock because they only had second and third period, had 37 absences and still passed the class with a B+,” Gibson said. “I’m sorry, you miss a third of the semester, theoretically, you missed so much information there’s no way you can get a B+ in that class.”
The upcoming fall semester has 77 educational days, so taking out five exam days, missing 15 days is more than 20% of the semester. Spring 2025 has 90 days, minus five exam days, meaning 15 missed days is 17.64%.
“If I miss one out of every five days, I’m not going to be the assistant principal at Franklin High School very long,” Gibson said.
Additionally, students with more than five absences cannot be exempt from teacher-made final exams (non End-of-Course), even if the student has an A average.
According to student handbooks, the elementary schools stipulate if a student misses more than 20 days, they may not receive a grade/credit. Highlands High School students are held to a standard of five or fewer absences, although the policy allows make-ups for excessive absences.
During his school’s handbook presentation, Macon Middle School Principal Mark Sutton said the county has a “serious attendance problem.” Sutton said if MMS policy guaranteed course failure after 20 missed days, he would “have a backlog of kids that would be staying…they would never get out.”
Board member Hilary Wilkes said she knows Macon County parents who travel, so they’re lenient about international travel since it’s an educational opportunity. Sutton said parents should bring those plans to the administration before the trip instead of afterward.
Per North Carolina Compulsory Attendance Law, schools have to notify parents/guardians of school absences after three, six and 10 unexcused absences. After 10 days of unexcused absences, schools schedule a home visit to create a plan to improve the child’s attendance. The Department of Social Services gets involved after 10 absences, and principals can file truancy charges. These apply until a kid turns 16.
Board Attorney John Henning asked if the principals are getting support from the courts when filing truancy charges. Sutton said he feels the truancy process is better and quicker than before. Cartoogechaye Principal Kristen Lynch said in one case she filed truancy charges in February and it’s still pending.
MCS Student Services Coordinator Annie Breedlove Wishon said MCS has “continued to rely on truancy filings as only a last effort to ensure students are receiving the best education possible.”
During public comment, FHS teacher John deVille, who is running for school board this fall, spoke in favor of the new attendance policy, saying the now-previous one encouraged absences. deVille said he and other teachers spoke on this subject back in 2009 but nothing changed.
Tardies
Gibson said a student will have a mandated learning center after a third tardy. The fifth tardy now results in administrators revoking a student’s parking privileges. Gibson said those details aren’t finalized but mentioned a 30-day parking ban. Ten tardies can lead to complete revocation of parking privileges for the rest of the year.
“I had a freshman who had 43 tardies and still passed the class,” Gibson said. “We’re not bringing the level down, we’re bringing the floor up.”
Previously, students got a one-hour detention on their fourth tardy and the fifth tardy onward resulted in a required after-school learning center. Additionally, any tardy after five included the possibility of losing parking privileges, at the administration’s discretion.
Wilkes asked about the parking situation with the new school construction. Gibson said they haven’t lost any student parking so far. Gibson said they have lost some staff parking behind the cafeteria/media center as that’s being turned into a bus loop so buses aren’t on the road during afternoon pickup. Wilkes said she was nervous about taking someone’s access to parking away if they’re late.
“One thing we tell them is that the bus runs for free and we’ll get them there on time,” King said about students who drive and have attendance issues.
Board Member Stephanie Laseter said she loved it and noted these changes looked like ones from Alleghany County Schools. King said that’s where the idea for these changes came from.
Laseter asked how a student with so many absences pass. Gibson said these rules take away “some uncomfortable conversations” from teachers, with Gibson saying he’s OK being the bad guy.
“For the sake of the students and the sake of the high school, we can’t just continue to make exceptions and make excuses for everyone,” Gibson said. “So we’re making it consistent for everyone.”
Board Member Diedre Breeden applauded the revisions, as did Board Chair Jim Breedlove, before the unanimous vote to approve.
FHS handbook changes
Other FHS handbook changes include the following:
• Cell phone usage is now allowed “during lunch, breaks and between classes.” Students can use earbuds outside of classroom learning time if the teacher approves. Previously, FHS barred students from using cell phones during school hours on campus.
• Along with the previous rule of “potentially severe disciplinary measures” in recording “any derogatory, libelous, slanderous and/or illegal activity” on campus, a new line mandates punishment for students recording fights.
“Any student caught video-taping any fight or potential fight on FHS campus is subject to the same disciplinary action of those involved in the fight,” a new part of the student handbook states.
• NCHSAA policy now mandates a student-athlete can only miss up to 10 days of the previous semester, excused or not, to be eligible to compete. Missed days can’t be made up for student-athlete eligibility. Appeals for any reason must be to the NCHSAA. Previously, the NCHSAA policy was a student-athlete had to attend 85% of the prior semester.
• A student “failing to meet the academic requirements” could have their parking privileges denied or forfeited.
• Formally including vaping, THC and CBD in the drug-free policy
• Mandating the SmartPass system for hall passes, accessible for students through school-issued iPads.
• Limiting credit recovery opportunities for students who fail a subject with a 50-59 score, subject to administration approval.
• Students violating the dress code will remain in ISS (in-school suspension) until they receive appropriate attire.
• Indefinite suspension from all extra-curricular activities for students who violate the drug-free school policy. School administration determines the length of suspension. This is on top of the mandated 10-day out-of-school suspension and law enforcement report.
• Requiring paper coursework for ISS, unless the student requires a desktop computer for specific assignments.
• Including “AI-generated work” under the plagiarism/cheating policy.
• ISS as an option for skipping/cutting classes.
School handbook updates
In his Macon Middle School student handbook presentation, Sutton said the new thing is not allowing students to wear earbuds in the hallways and to reduce screen time.
East Franklin Principal Crystal Parker said their faculty and student handbook changes will later include step-by-step instructions for the state-mandated Infinite Campus system, the new student information system replacing PowerSchool. Laseter wants the schools to overcommunicate on Infinite Campus.
Wilkes asked about the option for paperless forms, so students don’t have to bring home so many when school starts. The response was that paperless forms were a work in progress.
Nancy Breedlove, principal of Mountain View Intermediate, said one of their rules disallows earbuds, except for permitted instructional purposes.
The Highlands School and Cartoogechaye principals said they had minimal changes to their handbooks.
New Nantahala School Principal Amanda Sutton said being on the job for two weeks at that point, there were very few changes to their student and employee handbooks.
The school board unanimously approved all handbook changes presented at the July 22 meeting.
The next Board of Education meeting will be at 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19 at the Central Office on Old Murphy Road.