Did you know that the current tardy policy district wide in USD 373 in Newton KS is that all tardies are unexcused? While the district policy is that all tardies are unexcused, each school determines if consequences like detention is issued. Gone are the days of parents excused & train tardies. The Chisholm Middle School policy is that after 4 tardies per quarter a student gets detention. Santa Fe 5/6 understands this is Newton and trains are beyond our control as citizens. While they still count as an unexcused tardy per district policy, they do not issue any consequences as a result.  In the case of our high school their policy is that after 5 tardies per semester detention is given. (This includes any train tardies.) These tardies become part of the student’s permanent attendance record. Newton is home of the “Railers” we have a long history of the railroad, but why are our children being punished when they make the kids late to school? Some parents must drop kids at multiple schools that are on different sides of the tracks making it nearly impossible sometimes for a tardy to not occur with all our school start times so close together… especially when trains are often stopped on the tracks! As parents we shouldn’t have to decide which child gets dropped off extremely early and left unattended so we can get all drop offs completed to avoid the train issue. We need to make verifiable train tardies exempt from the current attendance policy.

Please show your support by signing and sharing the petition, contacting school board members, principals and the superintendent . Together we can help change policies for the good of our students.