CMS students need to have an 85% attendance record if they want to participate in extra-curricular activities. But this summer that rule may change.
The district’s central office is pushing for the policy change. School board member Tom Tate explained further at Tuesday night’s school board meeting.
"The proposed change from CMS stems from concerns about how to equitably administer the rule among current students who are increasingly enrolled in different kinds of courses from the traditional teacher-led classes at brick and mortar schools,” Tate said.
The North Carolina High School Athletics Association agrees. It got rid of its attendance policy in 2014. The organization’s Commissioner Que Tucker says it reflects the times. More students are taking online classes and college courses, yet being counted as absent.
“It became increasingly difficult for schools to be able to measure it in a consistent manner that seemed to be fair across the board," Tucker said.
Students will still need a 2.0 GPA to participate in extracurricular activities. They will also have to be at school for at least half the day to go to games or practice.
A public hearing on the proposal will be held June 21st and a school board vote is scheduled for July 28th.
