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HHS combats student tardiness

Nov 9, 2021

HHS’ past tardy policies were like any other school’s: simple and not always listened to. 

According to a Cambridge college study poll and The Brown Daily Herald, 3.3% to 9.5% of students are tardy everyday, and ¼ of students skip class at least once a week. Many students come in late, and admit to doing so, but they don’t always realize how disruptive it could be.

“I don’t get many late students, and they know to be quiet when coming in, but the amount of disruption depends on how late they are when they come in, the manner in which they come in, and how many of them there are,” said Fatuma Ali, language arts. 

Thankfully, the new administration has been enforcing policies to encourage students to get to class on time. For the first football game of the year, the principal herself was at the gate to make sure that students with any tardies from that week were not allowed in. 

“This is one tool in the toolbox to make sure that students get to class on time,” said Ali. ‘So far I’m in favor of the policies she’s put in place.” 

One problem contributing to tardies is morning buses. For the first few weeks of school many students would come into their first block late as the buses were behind schedule day after day. Some stops were missed on those routes and not all of them were able to catch a ride to school.

Students aren’t always to blame for being tardy, but it is important for them to know what to do when they are. 

 “I’ve only been tardy two times this year; once when my father drove me in, and the other when my bus was late,” said Dorothea Watson, Senior. 

Most of the time a teacher will excuse the student if they have a legitimate excuse, such as the bus, as well as if they have a pass from the front office or other staff. Some teachers will send out their personal policies at the start of every term to ensure that students know what is expected of them. 

“In my syllabus the attendance policy is as the school has laid in the student handbook, which changes from year to year, and that if you are more than ten minutes late you will be marked absent,” said Ali.

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