DYER BROOK — The School Board of the Southern Aroostook Community School District this week unanimously approved adoption of a policy that rewards students for regular attendance.

The new policy, which will take effect when school starts later this month, clearly places the responsibility for attendance on the student.

The policy states in its philosophy: “School personnel cannot force attendance. We can only provide an appropriate educational environment that is conducive to creating positive academic gains for each of our students. The rest … is up to the individual student and his parents.”

“We found that in the past year, there was a small number of students who had an excessive number of absences,” Superintendent of Schools Kenneth Coville said Thursday. “This policy was a means of addressing that. I think we’re going to see some significant improvement.”

He said the policy not only provides school officials with a tool to reward students who have good attendance, but also serves as a means of enforcement against those who don’t.

In order to induce students to attend classes, the policy provides incentives.

A goal has been set of 94 percent attendance for each student. That is equivalent to 10 absences per class, per school year for a one-credit course or five absences for a half-credit course.

Absences of an educational nature, such as field trips, athletic events or other activities deemed necessary by the school administration will not be included in the 94 percent.

Any student who meets the 94 percent goal in the first semester, with a maximum of five absences, will be rewarded five bonus points on his or her midterm exam.

During the second semester, students with a course average of 85 or better and who exceed the 94 percent goal, will have the option of not having to take the final exam for that course.

On the other hand, students who don’t attain the 94 percent goal will not receive credit for each course affected. For full-year courses, there is a 20-absence limit. One-semester classes would be limited to 10 absences.

In each case, both the student and his or her parents would be called in for meetings as the number of absences increased. Students who exceed the attendance limits would have a hearing before an attendance committee. Appeals of the committee decision could be made to the School Board.

The policy follows the guidelines of Maine law in defining what constitutes excused and unexcused absences. Excusable absences include illness, observance of recognized religious holidays, emergency family situations, pre-approved personal or educational absences or impassable roads.

Unexcused absences include those without parental knowledge, those that a parent considers appropriate but are not recognized by the school as such, and absences due to disciplinary action.