With chronic absenteeism an ongoing problem at the regional high school, principal Sara Dingledy presented the district school committee with a revised attendance policy at their meeting Monday evening.

“We need to get a handle on it,” Ms. Dingledy said, noting that a large percentage of students — between 12 and 18 per cent — are not in class on a typical day.

She presented the committee with a first reading of a new attendance policy that aims to create clearer expectations and consequences for missing class. Under the draft policy, students who have more than 10 unexcused absences in one semester cannot earn full credit. Sporting trips and school field trips would not count toward the total, but certain parent-approved excused absences, such as bereavement and illness, could affect a student’s grades if coupled with unexcused absences.

The new policy also would require documentation for excused absences within 10 days. For example, seniors who miss school for a college visit must provide verification from the schools they visit that specifies the dates of the visit.

“Being in class and being engaged in school is an intervention,” Ms. Dingledy told the committee. “We want kids in class, we want them in school, in front of teachers, and in front of school adjustment counselors.”

The committee will take a second reading of the draft policy at an upcoming meeting.

The policy is part of Ms. Dingledy’s initiative to revise the student handbook, including an updated code of conduct she submitted to the school committee for review Monday evening.

“What we’re looking to do is organize things in a more concrete way than in our current handbook where there’s . . . a lot of discretion of how things get interpreted,” the principal said. “We were trying to be as clear as possible.”

In other business, the committee approved a 2.25 per cent pay raise for nonunion employees including the principal, assistant principals and director of special education.

Superintendent of schools Dr. Matthew D’Andrea presented a letter he drafted to towns asking if the school committee could retain community preservation funds for the high school track and field project, even though a three-year deadline for use of the funds approaches and the school has yet to break ground on a new track.

“An extension would be greatly appreciated so I ask that this be considered,” the draft letter reads. “However, we completely understand if you need to repurpose the money.”

Mr. D’Andrea also gave an update on the high school building committee. He requested that each town select a representative for the committee, which will begin looking at options for an overhaul of high school facilities. Four towns have selected representatives so far.

A representative from the students for social and global change club asked if Columbus Day could be changed to Indigenous People’s Day in the school calendar. The committee agreed to look into the process for making such a change.

The committee also approved a short list of resignation and retirement letters from staff as the school year comes to a close, including assistant principal Elliott G. Bennett, who will retire in November after 18 years as a teacher and administrator.

In her letter Ms. Bennett warmly thanked her high school colleagues and students and praised the school for what she described as a recent “positive trajectory.”

School committee chairman Kris O’Brien added her own words of praise for Ms. Bennett. “I want thank [Elliott] for her service, for her leadership, and for all her years teaching,” she said.