Principal Dan DeBruycker directed teachers to close and lock classroom doors at 7:25 starting Monday. Students will go to their class house to get a tardy pass if they arrive to their first period class after the bell rings.

“It’s important that we all get here on time,” DeBruycker said. “It’s a part of life.” 

According to DeBruycker, 40 to 60% of the school’s tardies are before school.

“Many students are walking the halls when the bell rings at 7:25,” DeBruycker said. “Some of them have been in the building for 15 minutes and they’re late to class.”

Deans will not issue consequences or detentions right away. If students continue having tardies it is going to turn into having conversations with their deans and could lead to escalating consequences.  

When the policy was suggested, DeBruycker felt it was important to take this step to assure that students are in school on time and ready to learn. DeBruycker’s goal is to reduce the number of students who serve detentions or Saturday schools.

 “It’s a sense of urgency for first period because the data shows a significant amount of our tardies, which is creating discipline problems, which is sending kids to Saturday schools, which is any kids after school detention, which we want to avoid because it’s not necessary,” DeBruycker said.