Due to the large number of tardies last year, new assistant principals, Jason Hawkins and Michael O’Guin, introduced a new tardy policy. The policy’s introduction stirred up communication between the administration and the student body.

Students must now report to a tardy station to receive a pass before going to their class. The first tardy results in an after school d-hall;  according to administration, excessive tardies will lead to further disciplinary action.

“One of our main concerns were kids were in the hallways unsupervised,” Hawkins said. “That was one of the main things we wanted to tackle was we have got to get kids in class on time so that purposeful instruction can take place.”

However, the policy is receiving a negative response from the students.

“I think that the tardy policy doesn’t allow any room for fault,”sophomore Kaitlyn Clark said. And as students have lots of work all the time and I think that we should at least have a little try and chance to be able to get all our work done.”

The policy does not intend to punish all students, but those who habitually receive tardies for being late to multiple classes, not the ones who rarely arrive late to class.

“I think the main goal of this was to change the mindset that it’s okay to be late,” Hawkins said.

However, he said that students can find other ways to serve their consequence for the tardy. If a student receives a tardy, they can talk to their assistant principal and find another way to excuse the d-hall. For example, students can serve a lunch d-hall or help clean the cafeteria.

“I’m not necessarily concerned with the consequence, because I don’t think consequences change behavior,” Hawkins said. “I’m more concerned with changing the school environment.”