BESE clamps down on unexcused absences

Students will have to spend more time in class or face the prospect of failing a class, according to new rules adopted by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on Thursday.

Teachers are supportive of the change, LFT President Steve Monaghan told Gannett reporter Mike Hasten for this story.

"The fact that we're asking students to be in school is very reasonable," said Monaghan. "If a child is to learn, that child needs to be in school."

Students are expected to be in school a minimum of 360 minutes per day, or 63,720 minutes per year. Under old rules, a student could have unexcused absences that add up to 15 days worth of minutes before suffering any consequences. The new rules reduce that to 10 days worth of minutes, or six percent of their instructional time.