FOREST HILLS, Mich. — A January 9 email to Forest Hills Northern families about senior final exam exemptions sparked confusion for some parents about how absences are counted toward the policy.
Initial Confusion Over Email
Jeff Holquist, an FHN parent, initially had questions about the criteria after receiving the email that outlined requirements Forest Hills Northern seniors must meet to be exempt from second semester final exams.
Two main issues stood out to Holquist when he first read the email: "One was the limit of the number of college visits that were allowed during second semester, and the other was no consideration for if there were family emergencies or illness in terms of fulfilling the requirements of the policy."
Holquist was particularly unclear on what an excused absence covers — whether it meant three classes or three days.
"The communication we received was very unclear. It said three unexcused absences, and it was not clear as to whether it was three days of absences or three missed class periods," he said.
The distinction is significant, Holquist explained: "If you have a kid who's sick and you say, hey they're coughing, they have a fever, whatever, you probably shouldn't be sending them to school. It just seems like kind of a tough break to say, sorry you got sick for a day, so now you're taking your exams."
College Visit Limitations Raise Questions
The college visit limitation was another major concern for Holquist, whose family has experience with the process. His son, who graduated two years ago, visited colleges "everywhere from Northern Michigan down to Tulane."
"If you said, hey I want to go Michigan State or Michigan or Northwestern to Indiana Wesleyan or someplace like that, all of a sudden you're traveling, and you might, you might need more than two days to do that," he said.
Two years ago, Holquist said, "this wasn't an issue. It was all just excuse, oh, you're on a college tour. Great. Done."
Parent Seeks Answers
After posting about the policy online, Holquist received mixed responses. One comment read: "The exam exemption is a performance bonus, not a birthright. If they don't do the work, they take the test."
"I get it. I took my exams as a high school senior too. I understand that," Holquist responded. "The issue is, it was thrown out there as this is a possibility, but if you're not going to make it possible to attain that with all of life's uncertainties that you might have to deal with, then why do it."
School Provides Clarification
After reaching out to school leadership, Holquist received the clarification he sought. "I got the response I was hoping for," he said.
"College visits, super important. Just fill out the forms. We'll make it happen," he said the school told him.
District's Official Response
The school provided a comprehensive response to FOX 17 addressing the policy concerns:
On absence counting: The district confirmed that excused and unexcused absences are marked per class period, addressing Holquist's main confusion about whether the three-absence limit applied to full days or individual classes.
Regarding illness, family emergencies or funerals: Schools encourage families to always communicate with the attendance secretary at their school if there are extenuating circumstances like a death in the family, extended doctor visits, and/or if the student will be out for an extended timeframe. Families should work with their school.
For college visits: College and university visits are strongly encouraged. As long as appropriate documentation is given to the school, college/university visits are typically recorded as a school-related absence.
On administrator discretion: There is an appeal process, and families are encouraged to work with the building administrator or school counselor for special circumstances.
Whether the policy is new: The policy is not new.
The district also explained: "Every year, families sign off that they have received and read the school handbook as part of the annual verification and enrollment process. The senior exam policy is outlined in the high school handbook and available on the district website. The exam policy explicitly states exam expectations for seniors during the second semester, which just began on January 5, 2026. Absence notifications are also addressed in the handbook."
To see the student/family handbook, click here.
Resolution and Moving Forward
"They admitted that we, we didn't make that clear and we will make it clear in the next communication," Holquist said.
Despite the initial confusion, Holquist praised Forest Hills schools overall: "They're fantastic schools. They're among the tops in the state, and we are thankful every day that our daughter has a wonderful school to go to and that she's getting a wonderful education."
Holquist called this "ultimately a redemptive story" that he believes "is all going to work out.
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