The previous policy for making up unexcused absences was very different than the policy that was recently adopted.

It used to be that a student could make up one unexcused absence by attending one lunch detention.
Students liked the old policy because it was easier to make up absences.

“Because of staff cuts, there was a need for more teachers in the lunchroom during lunches,” said Behavior Intervention Specialist Brad Krause.

The teachers at the school also believed it was almost too easy to make up unexcused absences. Students would still skip class and just go to lunch detention the next day. Administrators felt it was almost as if they liked going to lunch detention.

The new attendance policy requires students to go before school. With the before school detention, students can either make up two absences from 7:10-7:40 or one from 7:25-7:40. The later one is for students who ride the bus and are not able to get there right away in the morning.

Each half hour excuses one absence. The goal was to have an incentive for the students to go before school, because they make up more absences in less time.