Dear fellow parents:

This is a petition to have the Old Bridge Township Board of Education’s (OBTBE) newly adopted Attendance Policy be amended to reflect a fair process.
As you are all aware, OBTBE recently adopted a new Attendance Policy whereby there are no more distinction between an excused and an unexcused absence unless an absence falls under the District’s accepted exceptions. So that means that if your child is absent say due to the flu or some other illness (not including a doctor approved chronic illnesses that may require frequent days off) those absences will not be excused. So there is a risk that if your child is attending school while nursing an illness, that may be communicable such as the flu, your child runs the risk of spreading the illness and vice versa. Although the school does not advocate that your sick child come to school and they still recommend getting a doctor’s note if the absence due to illness is more than 3 days, those absent days will not be considered EXCUSED. If the student then amasses more than 18 absent days he/she will be considered truant and will be subject to possible summer school to make up for excess absences.

Although the crackdown on absences with this new Attendance Policy by the District is commendable to deter against truancy and lowering the possible high school drop out rates, it appears highly unfair especially when it comes to absences due to medical reasons which, based on the New Policy, will not be considered excused.

The purpose of this petition, therefore is to have the voices of the parents heard regarding this policy and work with the District to make the Policy FAIR. Absences due to legitimate medical reasons that are backed up by a doctor’s note SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED UNEXCUSED. This unfair policy that the District has adopted puts unfair pressure on your child as well who would want to go to school while nursing an illness for fear of being subject to an UNEXCUSED ABSENCE. This may be more detrimental to the health of your and other children.
Please join us by signing this petition to have the District reconsider and ultimately amend their Attendance Policy.