Written by Ariel Lopez, Staff Writer
Many changes have been made since last year to help improve and better the Indian Trail High School & Academy community. There’s new administration, new policies, and new opportunities.
The most recent and widely known policy aims to
improve the high rate of tardiness in the school. The
new tardy policy applies to second through seventh
periods. Right when the bell rings, a hall sweep occurs. Students in the hallways are directed to a faculty-manned station. When sent to a station, students receive an unexcused tardy pass and are sent back to class.
The outcomes of this policy have created staggeringly positive results.
“Every single teacher in this building has said that tardies improved significantly since last school year,” said Vice Principal Matt St. Martin. “We are averaging about 60 tardies a day, outside of the first hour.”
That is less than 3 percent of the 2,100-student population.
Although positive results are being displayed, this policy raises some concerns. Students interviewed mainly agree that the policy is for the school’s best interest, but it has also increased students’ stress to get to class on time. They suggest some adjustments should be made in order to decrease the amount of stress students have when rushing to their next class.
Whether you are stuck behind a blocked hallway full of students, stopped on the side to have a conversation with administration, or using the restroom during passing period to cause less distraction, sometimes being tardy by a few seconds is unavoidable. Many students who strive for perfect attendance suggested increasing the passing time by one more minute.
One student described becoming stressed even just before the bell rings because they must rush from the band wing and put their instrument in their locker. Then, they have to speed walk from one end of campus to the other on the second floor.
Perhaps those students with music classes should be able to have a pass that allows them to have an extra minute or two passing, due to how far they travel across campus. Although many can agree the outcome of the tardy policy has generated a positive change toward students getting to class on time, school officials should consider adjusting regulations to make them more fair for everyone and keep Indian Trail a stress-free community with positive attendance results.