COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The Branch Intermediate School District Board of Education has approved student and staff handbooks for the new school year, tackling attendance problems at the Branch Area Careers Center.
Director of Vocational Education Jamie Engel says changes to the student attendance policy include elminating an appeals process for students with ten absences. Any student with that many absences now must pass a semester exam with a score of 70 percent or higher in order to earn a credit.
Engel said they had to try something different as he pointed out there were about 80 Branch Area Career Center students out of over 600 who had more than 15 absences during the last school year.
Among the changes in the staff handbook is the removal of names of individuals. The names have been replaced by titles and positions.
