A rural school district in Middle Tennessee—Lawrence County Schools, serving about 7,000 students—recently adopted a policy stating that doctor’s notes will no longer qualify as excused absences, even for illnesses, The Tennessean reports. Officials say the goal is to combat “chronic absenteeism” and promote reliability, likening minor student illnesses to the minor ailments adults often work through.
Under the new rules, all absences count the same regardless of cause—recorded simply as “absent.” After three absences, intervention begins. At five, administrators require parent-student conferences and attendance contracts. At eight, families may face referrals to juvenile court and penalties, including failing a grade or losing graduation eligibility, senior events, and even a driver’s license.
Supporters, including Director of Schools Michael Adkins, defend the policy as a way to instill work ethic and reduce instruction time loss. He noted during a board meeting: “If you’ve got the sniffles … you are going to have them when you go to work one day.”
Parents and advocacy groups have mobilized in response: more than 2,700 residents have signed petitions, and a Facebook group titled “We’re Not Truant! Parents Against the Absentee Policy” has emerged, staging planned protests and arguing the policy is coercive, unethical, and medically unsound. Observers such as Hedy Chang from Attendance Works warn that the policy can backfire, alienating families and increasing absenteeism rather than solving it.
But a primary concern in the community is that the policy may create a tendency for parents to send their children to school while still contagious, increasing the likelihood that pathogens will spread and infect other students and staff.
Experts point out that Lawrence County’s chronic absenteeism rate of ~15% is already below Tennessee’s average (~18.7%) and far below the national average (~26%). Changing the policy to remove doctor‑note exemptions doesn’t affect the counting of absences in state data. Still, it has clear consequences, including stricter truancy enforcement and legal mechanisms, which concern many advocates.
