To the Parents and Guardians of Taylor’s Crossing Public Charter School,

 

As a group of educators, we have worked long and hard to discuss our concerns involving attendance related issues at TCPCS. The past couple of years under COVID, the country has been fairly lax in holding students and families responsible for attendance. Our charter is quite clear about attendance. Our charter states that once a student receives 7 absences, they start to lose credit for school. If a student is tardy 3 times, that is equivalent to a “tardy absence”. Therefore 12 tardies would equal 4 “tardy absences”. 

 

Starting this week, we will be holding after school detention for one hour, Thursday, 11/10 from 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm. Students that attend after school detention will be able to make up either 1 hour of missed school (1 absence hour) or 3 tardies. Due to the fact that many of our younger students don’t drive, we will try our best to make up the time they owe through these more frequent after school detentions. This should have been brought up at parent/teacher conferences if it applied to your student’s situation. 

 

On Saturday, November 12, we will hold our first Saturday school of the year. This will take place from 8:00 am – 12:00 pm. This affords students the opportunity to clear up more absences and tardies in a quicker fashion. Students attending Saturday school will be able to clear up 4 hours of missed school (absences) or 12 tardies (3 per hour served). Students will be required to attend all 4 hours, so Saturday School will not be assigned to anyone who has fewer than 7 absences or 12 tardies. A 7-12 grader who has multiple classes, need to make up hours in each class missed. For example, if a student needs to make up a day of absence that would equal 6 hours.

 

In general, our teachers have expressed to administration the need to hold students and families accountable for attendance related issues, including tardiness. This helps us teach students accountability, responsibility and respect. This type of discipline and opportunity to make up for lost time is done at many schools throughout the area and country.

 

This week, Mrs. Kolsen and I will be contacting parents of students who need to report to After School Detention on Thursday and or Saturday school. Our hope is to try to get students back on track so they can move ahead with their classmates to the next grade. In some instances, failure to attend school and or be on time can be used to hold a student back based on failure to comply with the required time to be in school. Failure to attend an after school detention or Saturday school will result in a meeting with administration. 

 

We hope that implementing these procedures will help our families understand the importance of attending school regularly and being on time and we ask for your support as we implement them moving forward. 

 

Thank you for your time, 

Seth H. Boyle

Seth H. Boyle

Administrator / Assistant Athletic Director

Taylor’s Crossing Public Charter School

(916) 420-7057