At the beginning of the 2016-2014 school year, West High had changed its tardy policy from students
being allowed an excessive amount to limiting tardies to a total of five for the whole semester. Since
the beginning of the new policy, tardies have been lowered by at least half.
According to a Zephyr’s previous article, “over the years, students were allowed to be too tardy, and
as a result, they abused the system.” With change, there may come hostility from students who have
been affected or others who praise the change for less interruptions in class. Assistant Principal, Ms.
Amy Thompson previously explained how with the new policy would help enforce the consequences
and change students’ perspectives towards time usage.
Senior, Cynthia Figueroa described how the new policy can be slightly unfair because “there’s people
who live out the city,[and] if there was traffic it’s not their fault.” She said how there’s not enough
time in between classes to use the bathroom, walk to class and avoid a tardy. If given the choice
between facing one last tardy and risk suspension verses missing class all together, then she would
prefer the absence than the last tardy.
While the new policy may be hated by some for restricting the time and liked by others who prefer
the fewer distractions in class, the policy has shown the to be effective by reducing the tardies by
almost two hundred*. The change of the policy was just to further help students’ education, and that
is the only goal for the teachers and facility.
*Tardy comparison is not an exact comparison of all tardies because of other circumstances
seperating the two policies from each other.