Get-tough policy could mean loss of academic credit for serial offenders.
By: Rachel Silverman
Forget about the old "I had to go to the bathroom" excuse and don’t even think about hitting the snooze button. Princeton High School is taking student tardiness seriously these days.
According to a resolution introduced Monday afternoon at a Board of Education Program Committee meeting, three instances of tardiness would be counted as one absence in the school record books. And, in keeping with the current policy, students who rack up 18 absences a year, or nine a semester, are subject to loss of academic credit.
The proposed resolution is also intended to strengthen the present tardiness policy by better informing parents of tardiness problems, reviewing the tardiness policy with teachers so the policy is evenly applied and adding a student tardy record to report cards.
The idea behind this policy shift, PHS Principal Gary Snyder said, is that instituting punitive measures will ensure student timeliness.
"If you tie, somehow, some way, tardies to losing credits, that will catch student attention," Mr. Snyder said.
As it currently stands, students have four minutes between periods to reach their next class. But many students exceed the allotted time. "There is a very high percentage still in the hallway," Mr. Snyder said. "It takes a couple of minutes for the majority of students to get into class."
The lag time is a result of several factors, among them student "standing, talking and slow shuffle," Mr. Snyder said.
Overcrowded hallways are also cited as a major source of student lateness. But Mr. Snyder that problem should be minimized once the construction program at the high school is complete. "When the building expands, this will be alleviated," he said.
Another issue is inconsistency in the tardiness policy. While some teachers are seen as strict on punctuality, others are more relaxed, ignoring belated entrances. And there’s a certain cultural element involved, Mr. Snyder explained.
"There’s a level of acceptedness regarding lateness," he said. "There’s a level of ‘it’s OK to be late.’"
The proposed change, in fact, is already visible in the high school calendar. But now Board of Education members want to begin enforcement and expand its presence to the school handbook and policy.
How this regulation would be applied, however, is still open to debate. One idea, according to Board of Education member Charlotte Bialek, is to institute a probationary period during which the new policy would be on trial.
The date for establishing the new tardiness policy is also under discussion, Ms. Bialek said, though it will certainly appear on the agenda for the next board meeting Jan. 25.
Student and teacher reaction to the proposed policy was mixed.
Ninth-grader Deanna Caricato claimed, "It’s not us, it’s the timing," when asked who is at fault for student tardiness. "It would be unfair, very unfair," she said, expressing her opposition to a stricter policy.
Ninth-grader Harris Perlman also reacted negatively to the proposal, noting that those who cut class altogether should be distinguished from those who "still made an effort to come to class."
But ninth-grader Adam Friedman disagreed, stressing the importance of getting to class on time.
"It can be an issue if you miss the beginning of class," he said. "That’s where the teacher explains what is going to happen."
High School special education teacher Sandi Rosenhouse agreed.
"We’re spending so much time and money on education," she observed. "In order to improve, you have to be there."

