PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — The Pinellas County School Board is looking into changing some student code of conduct policies.
Board members will consider allowing more students to opt out of final exams.
If approved, the new rule would permit students who have a C grade or higher not to take the final semester exam for up to three classes.
That is, only if they haven’t missed more than five days of those classes.
The current rule allows exemptions for students with As and Bs.
School officials have said that expanding this to include C grades would be an effort to encourage attendance.
Across the country, school districts have seen a spike in absences since the pandemic. It’s a trend that Tampa Bay area districts have felt as well.
School officials hope this change will incentivize more students to come to class.
The board is also considering amending the wireless device cell phone policy, allowing students to have them and outlining when they can and can’t use them.
The district has stated it understands the ever-changing importance of technology in students’ lives, but the possession of phones can’t interfere with academic instruction.
The proposal also outlines new rules for other wireless devices like headphones, earbuds and smartwatches.
The school board set a public hearing for these potential changes at Tuesday’s school board meeting.
