NJ parents outraged they can’t keep kids home for ‘threats’

⭕ A threat was made against the Pinelands Regional school district on Sept. 12

⭕ Parents who kept their children home were told it would be an unexcused absence

⭕ The district's attorney said the safest place for a child is in school

A New Jersey school board explained at their meeting Monday why keeping a child home after an online threat has been determined to be non-credible is considered an unexcused absence.

The Pinelands Regional School District in Ocean County was one of many districts targeted by online threats this month. All were determined to be non-credible.

Some Pinelands parents who wanted to keep their child home from school said they were told it would be considered an unexcused absence.

Superintendent Melissa McCooley explained during a Board of Education meeting on Monday that the state's compulsory education law requires all children between the ages of 6 and 16 to attend school. If a child misses class, their absence is classified as either excused or unexcused.

An excused absence is an illness, death in the immediate family, college admissions interview, medical or dental appointment or "such good cause as may be acceptable to the building principal."

An unexcused absence includes family travel, babysitting or household duties and "other daytime activities unrelated to the school program."

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Adding to the list of acceptable excused absences?

McCooley said the policy currently does not take into account a threat made towards a school or district.

"We worked closely with the police department to make sure that school was safe to open," McCooley said. "However, I do like the feedback [...] that some families didn't feel 100% safe because they didn't get that reassurance early enough to put their child on the bus."

McCooley said she liked the idea of an appeals process for future situations.

School board attorney Will Donio recommended creating a category of excuse absences that includes "parental concern." He said he advises the districts he represents that school is the best place for students to be.

"For the vast majority of students, the safest place they can be is at school. Schools are safe places and our schools is a safe place and that needs to be amplified and reiterated," Donio said.

The Pinelands Regional School District serves 1,069 students from Eagleswood Township, Little Egg Harbor Township and Tuckerton Borough in Ocean County and from Bass River Township in Burlington County, according to the National Center for Education Statistics as of the 2022-23 academic year.

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