This year, a change to school policy that is already making an impact is the new lunch detention policy. The “Tardy Policy and Class Passing Time” policy is in the student handbook on the school website. The policy states that junior high has a zero-tolerance tardy policy and that “Junior high students will receive a lunch detention for each tardy.” In addition, the handbook states that high school students “will not be admitted to any class five minutes or more after the beginning of class and should report to the office.” if a student is served a detention slip, Lunch Detention is held in the ISS room during the junior high lunch period from 11:40 a.m. until 12:10 p.m.
“The policy supports all students with the warning bell, but the zero-tolerance section supports our seventh and eighth-grade students,” said Assistant Principal Adam Stroud.
The policy has been repolished primarily to help decrease the issue with the tardies, especially in the junior high area of the building.
“The policy was updated to decrease the number of tardies, especially at the junior high level. Data showed that junior high tardies were the majority of referrals and detentions. Junior high students sometimes struggle to get rides, causing rescheduling and detentions into evening schools and evening schools turning into OSS for not attending. The lunch detentions allow the junior high students to serve their detention during the school day to alleviate ride issues for our community. This allows an adjustment period during JH to help students get to class on time. The addition to the warning bell makes a big difference,” said Stroud.
The new policy is already showing results in the data.
“Data shows a decrease in referrals by 40% and a decrease in junior high tardies by 65%,” said Stroud. Many staff members around the school agree that this new modification is a great idea and will help improve the learning environment and capabilities of the students here at PHS.
“I think it is a good program. The tardies have improved from last year,” said Secretary Kim Bostock.
Many people believe this new policy is doing well because of the addition of the new one-minute warning bell, which the administration implemented to help motivate students to get to class on time.
“I think something that has made a huge change in the tardies is the new one-minute warning bell,” said School Resource Officer Jon Deaton.
With all of the changes made to the lunch detention policy and the addition of the warning bell, staff members have their expectations of the students.
“Get to class on time and maximize the time a student is in class,” said Stroud.
