WASHINGTON 鈥� Montgomery County high school students who miss class to attend organized protests or other civic activities during the school day are one step closer to having such absences excused.
It鈥檚 not a done deal, but Montgomery County Public Schools鈥� board members voted unanimously for preliminary approval of the proposed policy change at their on Sept. 11.
If the get final approval, public school students in the county would get up to three excused absences per academic year for civic engagement.
The school board鈥檚 Policy Management Committee proposed this revision after county students took part in walkouts in the weeks following February鈥檚 deadly mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida.
In order to claim any of the allotted absence days, students would need a triad of permission to participate in an event from a parent, the sponsoring organization and from the principal or someone appointed by the principal.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important to note that this policy is to maintain an orderly running of this school system to enable students to participate with parent permission and notification to the principal,鈥� Patrice O鈥橬eill, Montgomery School Board member and chair of school board鈥檚 Policy Management Committee, said during the meeting.
鈥淭his amendment is such a movement in the right direction,鈥� added student board member Ananya Tadikonda. 鈥淚 feel that it鈥檚 so important that we teach kids about civic engagement every day, especially in today鈥檚 day and age when it鈥檚 so important to everything that goes on around us.鈥�
The board will take another look at the policy after a 30 day public comment period.
