Starting this 2015-16 school year, a new ninety percent attendance policy has been established. Throughout the year, students need to keep an average 90 percent attendance in order to be able to participate in activities and walk at their graduation ceremony.

  “If a student misses school, we can’t teach them, if we can’t teach them they can’t learn, if they don’t learn they will not be prepared for the next step whether that is college, the workforce or the military,” high school principal Randy Luebbert said.

  Attendance has been an issue in the high school for several years, dropping to an average of 79 percent in 2013 and 79.4 percent in 2014. The school’s goal for the 2015/16 school year is a 90 percent average. Last school year, administration started offering cookies to those who attained perfect attendance for the week.

  “One of our goals is to prepare students for the real world. What job can you only go to ninety percent of the time and not get fired?” Luebbert said.

  Students who fall below the 90 percent average attendance, for whatever reason, will not be able to participate in activities until their attendance average is above 90 percent. This includes  school dances, extra-curricular activities, and also walking in graduation. This rule counts excused absences, along with unexcused. However, students may appeal to administrators to consider particular circumstances.

  “I feel students should be in school. The education of a particular student depends on if he/she is present in the classroom. Our school also is funded by the attendance of its students,” math teacher Amy Spunaugle said.

  The idea is to motivate students to come to school so they are able to do the activities that they want to do.

  “I think it’s a good idea with good intentions. It does motivate students to come to school more, but for the upperclassmen it isn’t that fair. They don’t have the few extra years to help them out,” senior Bridget Clarke said.

 Some students are concerned that legitimate excused absences could put them under the 90 percent mark.

  “I don’t like that there aren’t excused absences, because some appointments are important and can’t be made after school,” sophomore Naomi Meyers said.

Attendance Policy: (from the student handbook)

• Students who do not have an attendance rate about 90 percent will not be allowed to attend any reward/fun trips.
• Students participating in any activity/game must maintain an attendance rate above 90 percent from the first quarter of the 2015-16 school year on. After first quarter any student who does not have an attendance rate of 90 percent or higher will be declared ineligible to participate in games or activities or travel with their team until their attendance rate has reached 90 percent or higher. These students will be allowed to attend practice.
• Once a student’s attendance rate has reached 90 percent or higher, that student will immediately become eligible to fully participate in activities.
• Students who fall below the 90 percent rate due to illness or unforeseen circumstances may appeal to the appeals committee.
• From the school year 2015-16, students should maintain an attendance rate of 90 percent or higher other their high school career in order to participate in the graduation ceremony.
• Students who fall below this level due to illness or unforeseen circumstances may appeal to the Board of Education.