Superintendent Dr. Zuckerman told the Northern Burlington County Regional School District Board on Dec. 8 that the district is developing an action plan to address chronic absenteeism after state data showed 17% of high‑school students and 12% of middle‑school students had 18 or more unapproved absences for the 2024-25 school year.

The superintendent said the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) defines approved excused absences narrowly and that, under state reporting rules, doctors' notes are not on the list of approved reasons. "According to the New Jersey Department of Education, the following are seen as reasons for approved absences: religious holidays, college visits for 11th and 12th graders, 'take your child to work' day, and participation in civic events," he said, adding that some districts still treat doctors' notes as a local excused absence even though the state does not.

Why it matters: board members said parents commonly expect that a doctor's note will excuse an absence, and several asked the administration to show both the district's internal counts (including doctors' notes) and the NJDOE figures so the board can judge the scope of the problem. "If absences with doctors' notes included are really 3%, then this looks different than a 17% chronic‑absenteeism rate," one board member said during questioning.

What the administration will do: Dr. Zuckerman said he will obtain and present the district data isolating doctor's‑note absences from state‑approved absences and will prepare a formal recommendation for the board and relevant committees. He cautioned that any district decision to stop counting doctors' notes as excused for local policy could affect state reporting, school performance reports and related accountability metrics that rely on NJDOE data.

Board reaction and next steps: board members expressed mixed views. Several members sympathized with parents who do not send sick children to school, while others stressed the need to use data to shape policy and communications. The superintendent committed to returning with the requested breakdown and a recommended path forward; no formal policy change was adopted at the Dec. 8 meeting.

Context: the district said the action‑plan discussion echoes committee work on chronic absenteeism and aligns with the district strategic plan. Dr. Zuckerman emphasized the district's aim is to maximize student attendance because in‑class instruction is central to learning. The board requested the administration present both district and NJDOE statistics when the recommendation is brought back.