Attendance awards sticking in Milford

Perfect attendance will continue to be recognized in at least one local town this year, despite concerns elsewhere that it gives sick students an incentive to come to school.

The Milford School District will continue to recognize students for coming to school every day, said Assistant Superintendent Laurie Johnson.

Earlier this week, school officials in Nashua announced the decision to suspend perfect attendance recognition this year.

Nashua Superintendent Mark Conrad said the programs would be reinstituted next year. Conrad said there was concern that students who strive for perfect attendance would be more likely to come to school when they are sick just to get the recognition at the of the year, potentially putting other students and staff at risk.

Although school officials in Milford have also been dealing with the heavy flu season, the idea of cancelling perfect attendance recognition programs “hasn’t even been on our radar,” Johnson said Friday. “We’ve been vigilant on the other side of encouraging and ensuring kids stay home when they’re sick, but we haven’t connected the two,” Johnson said. “At this point, it doesn’t seem to be an issue.”

Students within the school district will continue to be honored and recognized for their accomplishments, including perfect attendance, she said.

Johnson said perfect attendance is something that is rewarded by many employers, so it makes sense to recognize students who make the effort to come to school every day.

Johnson added that perfect attendance can also be reflective of students who choose to live healthier lifestyles.

“We’re doing a disservice if we don’t recognize those who have taken care of themselves and are healthy,” she said.

In light of concerns about the flu this season, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that schools consider revising or doing away with perfect attendance recognition. In its guide to schools on how to handle H1N1, the CDC suggests that schools “revise their policies and incentives to avoid unknowingly penalizing students who stay home when they are sick,” such as perfect attendance awards.

For school officials in SAU 39, which covers Mont Vernon and Amherst, there was no decision to be made on the issue. Students there are not recognized for perfect attendance anymore, said Superintendent Mary Jennings.

“We found sometimes students who were not completely well would come to school anyway because they sought those awards,” she said. “H1N1 has certainly shown to us that’s probably a good route.”

Michael Brindley can be reached at 594-6426 or mbrindley@nashuatelegraph.