Imagine coming to class a few seconds late after walking a long path in harsh weather conditions and you’re getting punished by your teacher and a dean. Sadly that is the reality at H-F.

Tardies are given out even if a student is barely late. The first time is a verbal warning, the second time you are already receiving a phone call home by a dean.

Mind you tardies do not reset after the quarter is done, but when the semester is done, meaning if you are late to class a total of two times in a wide four month period you are already getting a phone call home.

A student’s third tardy and the dean issues a three hour detention. 

Yes you are hearing me correctly, if you’re late three times within a four month timespan for maybe a total of thirty seconds you now have to serve a three hour detention. 

Many students have sports, after school clubs, and jobs to worry about and that three hour detention can be a huge burden on students.

Yes you may be thinking, “just do not be late”, but H-F is one of few schools that have two separate buildings that you have to walk between classes every period. There can also be up to 2,000 students on the path at a time.

The tardy system does not reflect fatigue, people walking slow in front of you, or the weather conditions that day.

Some students are also at a huge disadvantage depending on where or what their class is. Students in P.E only have a few minutes to change then still walk to their next class.

Traveling from A-Building to north building is also a hassle H-F does not account for. They used to give those students an extra minute but got rid of that without a real reason why.

H-F also does not give students leeway when they are late due to their own school’s fault. Due to construction around G and E-Building, Door 30 is closed. This is important because this was one of the most popular pathways to take and students can no longer travel this way.

You would think H-F might give an extra grace minute period due to students from G and E-Building having to travel across the whole school just to leave the building but of course they have not.

Imagine a main road being closed and you show up to work a minute late and your boss is punishing you. It does not make sense just like the H-F tardy system which is just about punishing students. 

I understand why a tardy system is put into place, it teaches students about the importance of responsibility and showing up on time, but instead of punishing us for something we can not control all of the time, why not see why the students are late and try to fix the solution.

Students are not learning their lessons after a detention, they are just learning how to avoid it next time.

For example after your fourth tardy students receive a five hour detention. So if a student knows they will be late they will sometimes just not go to class that period, which is extreme but understandable.

Many times an unexcused absence is just a verbal warning whereas a fourth tardy can get you a five hour detention.

H-F is not teaching students responsibility with their harsh tardy system but rather how to finesse the system which does not help anyone.