Schools Drop Perfect Attendance Award

SOUTHLAKE, Texas - School districts say some sick students are ignoring their symptoms to preserve their perfect attendance record.

Last Monday night the Carroll Independent School District was the first district in North Texas to do away with its perfect attendance awards.

Trustees said they do not want sick students to feel pressured to go to class only to get a certificate or an award. Their motivation was to help keep the H1N1 virus from spreading at schools.

School leaders said they won’t get rid of the exam exemption policies that traditionally have been associated with perfect attendance records. Instead they will deal with it on a case by case basis.

Most parents interviewed by FOX 4 said they welcome the change. They want school districts to do whatever they can to keep students healthy.

“Actually I think it’s good because you don’t want to have a whole class or a whole school infected,” said parent Kennedra Miller.

Parent Angela McGuire said she also agrees with the philosophy.

“Because the kids do come to school and then they contaminate the school. So we don’t want that,” she said.

One parent pointed out she supports the change but isn’t entirely happy with the compromise.

“It means a lot to them to be able to at the end of the year get recognized for having perfect attendance,” said parent Deborah Frazier.

In Mansfield, school board trustees will meet Tuesday to discuss a similar change. Dallas trustees are also looking into policy changes. But in Fort Worth there are no planned changes.