This school year, Mira Costa has implemented a new attendance policy that includes stricter consequences for students being tardy and/or absent from class. The messaging to students in the home room video regarding the new policies, emphasized that Costa loses $65 per person absent from class each day, suggesting to students that Costa is prioritizing financial considerations over students’ well-being.
To avoid the expense, and to encourage students to be more present in class, administration has decided to implement more severe consequences. Students will recieve receive a detention after three tardies. Additionally, after five tardies, students will receive a study zone. Seven tardies warrants a second study zone, plus a School Attendance Review Team (SART) meeting.
These rules also apply to office hours attendance, making it mandatory to check in. The school views these new attendance policies as a way to encourage students to be active and present in class. Administration wants to create an environment where students at Costa don’t feel the urge to skip class or be late. MBUSD is aiming to reduce expenses to use that saved money for other advances throughout the district.
Although absences are costly for the school. With all the stress that school already provides, this new attendance policy adds to student’s plates. Students at Costa are only given six-minute passing periods. Considering the amount of students passing through the halls, as well as the distance between the classrooms, it is already difficult enough for students to reach their next class on time.
These obstacles only make it more common for students to arrive at class a minute or two late. Office hours attendance is an even larger issue. The school’s wifi is already known to be unreliable, making it difficult for students to sign into office hours in the first place.
Last year, it was highly encouraged to sign-in for office hours, but the punishments in failing to do so weren’t enforced. This year, on the other hand, the school has made it mandatory to check-in for office hours, and enforces detentions and Saturday schools.
The school argues that they have implemented specific check-in tables in the Mustang Mall, making it easier for office hours check-in, but that is not the case. Since the check-in tables are the only reliable way to get attendance for office hours, students have to use their scheduled academic time waiting in line to check in instead of being able to work.
The school claims that check-in for Office Hours is required to ensure students don’t leave campus. However, considering a student could easily check-in for Office Hours, get that attendance mark, and then walk off campus with the remaining time they have, this argument isn’t fully supported.
While Mira Costa seems to be creating these new policies with good intentions, the results are producing a more stressful environment at Costa. With stricter penalties for even minor tardiness, the school places unnecessary stress upon students who already face the pressures of academics, short passing periods, and crowded hallways. If the school truly wants to keep kids more engaged on campus, perhaps they should consider implementing more supportive approaches that address the student’s needs.
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