Do attendance rules benefit students? Controversy around attendance rules

Newly-enforced attendance policies work against us

Johanna Kaplan

n an attempt to increase attendance, Park administrators decided to clamp down on their rule book. Students are only now being made aware of an important attendance policy: a parent or guardian can excuse their child for missing school, only for ten days or less. Once a student passes their 10day limit on parent-excused absences, they are required to turn in a doctor’s note.

It’s important to note that the 10-day limit on parentalexcused absences is not Park’s rule, but Hennepin County’s. Where Park went wrong was randomly enforcing it halfway through the school year. This is not fair to anyone — staff included.

I was out with the flu in November and missed a week of school. I didn’t feel the need to see a doctor because I didn’t have life-threatening symptoms. I knocked off half of my allotted days to miss without a doctor’s note.

Park requires a doctor’s note for illnesses, having a migraine won’t cut it — a student has to actively visit a doctor in order to be excused. Going to the hospital can be expensive and many families don’t have the money or time for it when it comes to minor issues.

Going to school sick is a bad idea, it’s something that is consistently discouraged at Park. Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began, students are expected not to come to school with any symptoms of illness. If they stay home, though, they are reprimanded for skipping. These mixed messages are endlessly frustrating.

Even in situations where a student did actually visit the doctor, they might not be able to prove it after the fact. Most students don’t bother asking for a doctor’s note when they are under the impression that a parent/guardian can excuse their absence.

If Park’s administration wants to double down on this specific policy, they should have been more transparent from the get-go. They should have made a point of this in the beginning of the year, rather than partway through the second semester. The lack of communication from administrators makes it hard to justify what they are doing.

Enforced attendance rules help in the long run

When students don’t attend class it can cause declining grades, which results in students struggling with work. Being in class is important because having an education is a privilege, and unless you can’t be in class for a serious matter then you should attend.

A majority of high schoolers eventually plan on going to a community college or university that requires a high school diploma or a General Educational Development Test (GED).

Even companies may ask for a background check to see current schooling and work ethic if you have a high school diploma or a GED.

If someone does end up skipping class for no reason, they may need to do makeup work, which can become a habit for not committing to something.

It’s beneficial for students to be in class, and if they aren’t, there can be repercussions. This rule will help motivate students to be on time and present in class. These rules aren’t exactly popping up out of nowhere, and I think that they are being enforced now because

Park Trails

DESIGN BY Hanna Wilsey

of rising absence rates and the administrators wish to ensure all young adults have access to a good education. Also, if these rules had been enforced more, like other schools in the area, it wouldn’t be as big of a deal to students now.

I don’t think that it’s hard to be able to attend class, it’s just that people don’t want to for various reasons. Personally, as a senior who also does Post Secondary Education Options (PSEO) at Normandale Community College, I have to be accountable for my own time. I have to work outside and inside school and the only times I’m not in class is when I have doctors appointments where they don’t mind giving me a note.

Yes, these newly enforced rules have come up now, but maybe they are trying new things to see if students follow them for future years.

It’s only because it was never enforced with previous principals that it’s now coming up. It’s better to have these newly-enforced attendance rules in place to better people’s education.

10 minutes late every day....

Is 30 hours out of the year...

Causing student to be 7x more likely to drop out of school.

Source: www2.ed.gov

Infographic by: Hanna Wilsey

Student Voices

“I don’t think they’re effective. If not everybody has heard about them, not many people have been emailed about detention.”

Jonah Kaufman, junior

“No matter what policies are put in place regarding attendance, people are going to do what they want. If someone wants to go to class they will.”

Cece Jensen, senior

How did you become the Batwoman? And so young!

Batwoman, how did you get this job?

I1 in 20 students are late to class everyday Meow! Thanks

Well, back in the day I had what you may call... a bat-mitzvah

10 years ago

Eliah Fink

Evelyn Barnett, sophomore