Office Staff realized that students are coming in later every day and the school is taking action to stop the tardies. The punishments are harsh but understandable.

Students are required to be in their classes before the 7:30 a.m. bell every day. Students have been granted four free passes but after the fourth, they will face consequences. The rules are strict, but they are strict for a reason. Students must be on time to get as much learning as possible.

There are some obstacles such as the morning traffic. The school has only one entrance and Smith Valley is always clustered in the mornings due to the buses, student drivers, parents, and adults trying to get to work. An easy fix is arriving earlier so student drivers have no chance of being late.

Students who come into class late make it difficult for teachers to teach their lessons if students are not there and unable to participate. Teachers are constantly interrupted because of students arriving late and missing school hours, which causes all students to receive fewer hours of instruction.

But not only does a student who is consistently arriving late to school establish bad punctuality habits, their tardiness also disrupts the learning of other students in their classes. Teachers are on a schedule, and any disruption can put the class behind.

Students being tardy can affect the school’s income. Schools receive funding based on the number of students who attend class on a given day. The more students present, the higher the funding allocation. This approach is designed to incentivize schools to maximize attendance rates.

Student attendance is one of the most common predictors of academic achievement. Students who consistently miss school hours develop habits that will lead into their adult lives, affecting their education, career, and social connections. In contrast, students who participate fully in school activities will have more opportunities to succeed in their futures, and make healthy informed lifestyle choices.

Students being on time is important, and the administration making stricter rules for students to show up is understandable.