1st Place, News Brief
2023-24, Division 1, News Writing
By Jaewon Lee
The Emery
Ann Arbor Huron HS
Huron administrators set a new attendance policy on Dec. 1, 2025. The new rule now accounts for specific disciplinary action for certain amounts of tardies or absences.
“Mr. Carter is always talking about how much attendance matters,” Huron freshman Sydney Anton said. “And it really does.”
However, despite Carter’s words, about 60 students every week show up tardy for class. That is why the new policy was implemented.
Students who accumulate at least five tardies or unverified absences in one week will receive escalating discipline: lunch detention for the first offense, after-school detention for the second, an attendance contract and a parent meeting for the third, and suspension for the fourth. These incidents will notify parents as well as being recorded on PowerSchool.
According to Lorri English, the ninth grade Dean at Huron, the attendance policy was revised “to address growing concerns about attendance and truancy and to ensure consistency and fairness.”
Students who exceed the attendance thresholds will also face temporary restrictions on extracurricular activities like sports and clubs. Subsequently, students who keep a perfect attendance record for a week will receive benefits such as but not limited to complimentary Homecoming, athletic, and school event tickets, front-of-the-line access to the lunch line, and gift cards from local businesses.
“I feel like the new attendance policy makes sense,” Anton said. “Five tardies in a week and five unverified absences seems like a good limit before action is required.”
The attendance policy seems to have a positive incentive on students as well.
“This is our first week enforcing the policy so there is no data yet,” English said. “However, we have great data from utilizing a form of restricted passes during football season.”
Administrators encouraged students to be on time to class, and families were asked to review expectations with their students and contact counselors if attendance barriers arise.