BELLE — Maries County R-2 board members tabled discussions Oct. 25 about changing practices ‘which prohibit suspended students from earning grades for work completed while on suspension or prohibit earning credit in the class.’

Board member Amy Kiso-Bledsoe, who also works for the Missouri School Board Association (MSBA) submitted the ‘policy and handbook alignment’ to the October agenda, but was not able to be there due to a medical appointment. She submitted the support information to the board via e-mail.

During a follow-up email Friday afternoon, Kiso-Bledsoe declined to go on record to explain the changes or her reason for the request. Board President Joey Butler II gave the following reason.

“There was one board member that requested for this investigation of our policy to make sure Maries R-2 policy and student hand book line up with Missouri law,” Butler said.

Kiso-Bledsoe said in the original proposal to change the policy that she opposed the current practice ‘because such practices discourage academic achievement and frequently result in students who return to school less motivated to behave because the student realizes he or she will fail the class.’

Kiso-Bledsoe showed where she felt the handbook is not consistent with the district and MSBA’s polices, as policy IK: Academic Achievement: ‘grades are not to be used a disciplinary measure.’

Furthermore, Policy JED: Student Absences and Excuses states that ‘no rule or procedure will preclude a student from making up work missed due to any type of absence, including absences due to suspension.’

However, Policy JG-R: Academic Consequences, says ‘students who are suspended from school will not be allowed to earn full credit for course work completed during the term of the suspension. Students may earn a maximum of 60 percent for the work completed. The district will provide appropriate due process in accordance with law prior to finalizing the student’s grade for a course.’

According to Superintendent Dr. Patrick Call, JG-R was last approved by the R-2 Board Dec. 15, 2016.

The JG-R policy is followed by JG-R1: Student Discipline and how ‘absences due to an out-of-school suspension may result in the student earning a lower grade in accordance with the district’s policy on absences.’

According to the district handbook on out-of-school-suspension (OSS), ‘suspension is not something to be taken lightly…students will receive 60 percent credit for class work missed when they are suspended out of school.’

“Students are not well served when they are not allowed to make up their work for full credit,” Kiso-Bledsoe wrote, backing her statement with reasons. “It violates our mission statement, ‘building a legacy of excellence for all students;’ it leads to student failure; free public education is guaranteed by law; and punishing our students academically in addition to other forms of punishment such as OSS is a double punishment. It is a disincentive to good behavior.” 

She writes to ask if Maries County R-2 School District is an institution of education or not? Does the board of education value and support academic education?

She also goes on to say it violates the district’s CSIP, ‘ to focus on improvement related to student achievement/performance (MSIP Performance Standards), long-range facility and complex education program adjustments.’ It violates the district’s core values and belief statements that ‘each student should be recognized as a unique individual’ and ‘it is the responsibility of the school district to ensure student learning.’

Kiso-Bledsoe holds that the police to withhold or lower the grade percentage available violates CSIP and measurable improvement objectives to ‘increase student achievement and performance’ as well as ‘maintain appropriate resources and support and provide a positive school climate and a safe environment.’ As well as their future goals, to ‘over the next five years, continue to promote positive school climate through the use pf programs such as Positive Behavior Support’ and survey students, parents and teachers.’

She indicates advocating student learning requires them to be present. The district’s attendance policy is to maintain a 95 percent attendance or above and the graduation rate will be increased to 95 percent or above over the next five years.

Kiso-Bledsoe outlines that the board should take the following steps to correct matters, including ‘review and revise policies for attendance in all buildings’ and ‘study the effectiveness of the current ISS/OSS program and make deceptions as needed (i.e., lunch time dentitions, etc.).’

She asks the district to investigate ways in which other school districts have encouraged good attendance. Board members voted to table the discussion until the November meeting with a 6-0 vote.

Superintendent Dr. Patrick Call said Monday afternoon that he could not comment on the reason for the policy or explain the changes.

“Right now, our policies are fine and our handbooks are fine,” Call said.

Butler said he could explain the reason the board tabled the discussion at the last meeting.

“I felt is right to table it at the last meeting to give other board members time to see what the issue actually is,” Butler said. “I have done so and read policy and handbooks multiple times. I thought it fair to let them look and give them that time to go over our policies and do some comparisons of their own.”

Butler said he could not comment on the reason the policy is being brought up or why the changes are needed. He thought giving Kiso-Bledsoe a chance to explain the changes would be  better. If Kiso-Bledsoe’s illness persists through next month, Butler said the board may make a discussion, depending on the circumstances.

“If we have enough information, we will try to make a decision or come to a conclusion (in November),” Butler said. 

Board members plan to revisit the line item at the Nov. 22 meeting.