St. Mary board tightens up attendance policy

The St. Mary Parish School Board will implement a new policy regarding student attendance during the 2008-2009 school year.

St. Mary School Superintendent Donald Aguillard said elementary and junior high school students will have to attend 160 days of school in order to receive full credit for classes.

Also, high school students will have to attend 81 days of school for full credit classes and 40 days of school for half-credit classes.

Previously, all students from elementary through high school were allowed to miss 20 days of class per year. With the revision, Aguillard said the maximum number of allowed absences is 14 days for elementary and junior high school students and seven days for high school students.

Aguillard said the school board will also implement a policy regarding student threats, harassment, intimidating and bullying, called “cyber-bullying/electronic communication” on the Internet. “We’re taking a zero tolerance policy,” he said. Violators could be thrown out of school.

On another matter, the board agreed to continue its practice from last year of giving $20 to each student system wide to buy school supplies. The move will cost the board and taxpayers $200,000.

In elementary schools, the stipends allow principals to provide students with crayons, glue and other supplies. Middle and high schools use the allocation to help defray school fees for such items as identification cards, locker rentals or yearly planners.