One Middle Tennessee school districtwill no longer accept doctor's notes to excuse student absences.
Lawrence County School System officials announced the new attendance policy during a June 26 board meeting, where Director of Schools Michael Adkins cited high rates of "chronic" absenteeism among students.
Previously, the district allowed multiple excused absences as long as students provided a doctor’s note. Under the new policy, however, a doctor’s note will no longer excuse student absences.
"We have high, chronic absenteeism because of excused absences. This policy says, 'You're either at school or you're not. And if you're not, you're absent.'" said Adkins. "And we're not going to waive that with a doctor's note."
Adkins added that the new policy will allow the school system to "take control" of student attendance.
According to the county Chamber of Commerce, the Lawrence County School System caters to about 7,000 students across twelve schools that include eight primary schools, one middle school and three high schools.
"You can bring all the doctor's notes you want, but it's still unexcused," Adkins continued. Here's what else to know.
Updated Lawrence County schools absence policy draws backlash and prompts school system to clarify
A July 17 post regarding the policy on the school system's Facebook account drew more than 600 comments, many of them decrying the policy.
"Everyone should let Michael Adkins know how you feel about this policy," read one of the comments. Others called for a change of administration.
The outrage prompted the school to address the controversy in a letter posted to the school system's Facebook account on July 21.
"While the intention behind this early release was to provide families with adequate notice and to assist local healthcare providers in understanding the changes, we recognize that some may have misunderstood the language in the policy and focused solely on a potential worst-case scenario," the letter, signed by Adkins, says at the beginning.
"We understand the concerns that have been expressed by some members of our community and want to take the opportunity to provide clarity, correct misinformation, and reemphasize our purpose: to support students and families while meeting the legal responsibilities required by the State of Tennessee," the letter states.
The July 21 letters says that in the 2024-2025 academic year, more than 1,100 students were identified as chronically absent, missing at least 18 days of school. Many families were unaware of how quickly the absences accumulated, the letter states, and may not have realized their child was on the chronic absentee list since they turned in a doctor's note.
"This is the primary reason we have early intervention points in the policy." the letter states. "We want parents to be aware of the number of absences a student accrues throughout the school year and hope to work together to decrease the number of absences."
Lawrence County Director of School Michael Adkins ties new attendance policy to Tennessee’s 'Success Sequence' law
Adkins said high absenteeism can lead to serious consequences for students, including failing a grade, being taken to court, losing eligibility for a driver’s license, or being barred from graduation.
"The door's open, you should be in school," Adkins said. “Unless there’s a major medical issue, a student shouldn’t be missing 30 days a year and not be considered chronically ill."
He emphasized that education is the "gateway to a better life" and referenced Tennessee’s Success Sequence Act, which requires schools to teach students about the social and economic benefits of following a recommended life path: graduate high school, enter the workforce or pursue a degree, get married, and have children.
Gov. Bill Lee signed the act into law on April 21.
If a student attends school, but is later sent home by a school nurse, they will be counted as tardy, said Adkins.
"If you’ve got the sniffles, that’s fine, you’ll have them when you go to work one day," he said. "We’ve all gone to work sick, hurt, and tired. As a society, we’re losing that sense of reliability and opportunity begins at the schoolhouse."
What is the Lawrence County School System’s new attendance policy?
The new policy states that if a student is experiencing an ongoing, diagnosed medical condition that requires multiple absences, special arrangements must be made with the school principal.
The principal may waive absences under the following circumstances:
A death in the family
Religious holidays or observances
Chronic illness verified by a Tennessee-licensed medical provider (includes pregnancy-related issues, doctor visits, and childbirth)
Legal obligations such as a summons, subpoena, or court order
Emergencies beyond the student’s control, as determined by the principal
School-approved activities
Military-related events like deployment, return, or special recognition
New policy outlines tiered interventions for absences
The new policy also highlights tiers of truancy. They include:
Tier 1: This applies to all students and focuses on school-wide, prevention-oriented strategies to promote good attendance. Interventions begin when a student reaches three absences.
Tier 2: The second tier is triggered after a student accumulates five absences without an attendance plan in place. It involves a meeting with the student and guardians, an attendance contract, follow-ups, and referrals to support services like counseling or social work.
Tier 3: The third tier is triggered after eight absences if Tier 2 fails. It includes more intensive interventions like mentoring, detention and written reflection. The policy states plans must be age-appropriate and approved by school leadership.
Additional procedures: At eight absences, students may be referred to juvenile court. Continued absences (12–14+) lead to loss of privileges and possible court action. Missing 10% of the school year results in failing the grade, requiring summer school or grade repetition.
To read the full policy in its entirety, visit lcss.us/_files.
Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for the Tennessean. Contact her at [email protected] or follow her on X at @_leyvadiana
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Doctor's note will no longer excuse absences at TN school district
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