By Rithvika Nadakuditi

Many changes have happened at our school this year. One of the big ones that impacts IRHS is the new attendance policy. According to Amphitheater Public Schools’ “Every Day Matters”, if a student accumulates 10 or more unexcused absences per semester in a given class, they will be dropped from the class and need to be enrolled again. According to the Amphi website, “Regular school attendance is essential for success in school. Students with 95% attendance rates or better are more than twice as likely to pass standardized achievement tests as students who attend only 85% of the time. Students who are frequently absent may be putting their futures in jeopardy; studies have shown that chronic absenteeism, especially truancy, is highly associated with dropping out of school and has a direct and negative result on student achievement.” According to Dr. Orante Jenkins, principal of IRHS, the leniency and zero tolerance of this policy, he strongly believes that students’ main job is school, and that it should be prioritized first. However, many students might have other obligations; it’s the parents’ responsibility to call their students out for absences. To regain lost credit, students must meet with their counselor to discuss their absences. According to counselor Ms.Ortiz, once a student surpasses 10 unexcused absences, the student will be told they will not receive credit for the class, and a form must be filled out called appealing. This process allows the board to review the appeal, to consider a student for another chance, and to improve. When discussing how to avoid losing credits and be better prepared, Ms.Ortiz said, “Be proactive, communicate with the teachers and nurses, ensure parents are communicating as well.”

One of the students at IRHS who was impacted lost their credit and appealed it. Benjamin Fredrick, a senior, lost credit for his class after exceeding 10 unexcused absences. Fredrick said he was a victim of the school policy. These were his feelings regarding the policy as a student at Ironwood Ridge High School. He mainly advocated improvements in communication methods and regulations. Fredrick said, “ We’re looking back on it just the other day, and she actually got the email. They should have emailed both my mom and me, because they only emailed my mom. They could have also talked to me in person or called my mom, like, ‘hey, your son is gonna lose a credit if he doesn’t appeal.” He was displeased by the district’s communication with him. Frederick believed the district and the school could be more lenient with the consequences and rules. Specific ideas Fredrick had to ameliorate the communication were “I’d give two emails, one in the beginning, cause they give you ten days to answer the email. The first day you receive an email, if you don’t reply within that time, send you a second email. Instead of sending a single email, you have to reply within ten days. Yes, better communication.” Although Frederick believed that the district could improve communication and rules, it ultimately falls upon students to ensure they are on track and communicating with the district if they are going to be absent. Make sure to check your emails daily and keep track of your absences to prevent losing credit for your classes.

Despite some students’ frustrations with this policy, many administrators believe the strictness serves a greater purpose, fostering student engagement. Mr. Lang believes the attendance policy incentivizes students to be in class. “We want kids in here to be engaged with each other and the teachers to be teaching. One way we can do that is by having kids come back into class.” He also stated that students being in class is vital to a student’s athletic performance. Many students at IRHS are involved in sports; as a result, a new policy has been implemented where students must attend school that day to practice or play. An analogy, Mr. Lang, demonstrates the importance of attending school. “In an athletic environment, just missing is the same as missing in class. So you’re gonna hinder your performance by not being in class its the same if you have a job, you know, if you don’t show up at a job, then there’s no customer service, then the companies are not thriving. Everything slows down if the classrooms slow down, then athletic teams slow down, and in the real world, everything slows down.”

This year has had many new changes for IRHS, and with that, communication and dedication challenges have arisen. As the school year continues, the administration, faculty, and students adjust to the transition; the success of this policy relies on communication to work toward our shared goals, which remain the same as Nighthawks; “it is in our nature” to learn and prosper.