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Students are feeling the pressure over having to choose between activities for school absences and community leadership, due to the attendance policy in place.

With a new year comes new expectations, which is why with the rebranding of HCP came new attendance policies. 

School activity absences have been the biggest concern among the student body, especially those involved in multiple extracurriculars. The new policy states that a student is permitted 10 day’s worth of school activity absences for the entire year. This includes college visits, sports absences, performance absences and community leadership. After all 10 absences are used they begin to count towards excused absences. 

“I understand where the new policies are coming from, but having to pick and choose what I’m involved in has made it difficult,” said senior Tiziana Mongu. “I’d like to be involved in my community and with things that are beneficial for my future career, but I feel limited by the policies.” 

Mongu is part of the Youth Leadership Exchange of Oklahoma City, an editor of the yearbook, the High School Page Program for the Oklahoma House of Representatives, holds officer positions throughout clubs and is various other programs and extracurriculars.  

“I’ve been trying to save my absences, but I’ve realized that I have to make sacrifices to my opportunities,” she said. 

Last year, the tardy policies were changed. Three tardies now result in detention rather than counting towards an absence. 

This year new policies were introduced for in-school suspensions. Most infractions that previously resulted in an out-of-school suspension now result in an ISS; this includes cell phone violations and fighting.

“If a student is suspended we want to keep them in the learning environment,” said Principal Joe Hughes. “If we have more in-school suspension policies than we do out-of-school suspensions we are able to achieve that.” 

Shaban Scott was hired as the new ISS coordinator, allowing for these policies to take place in an easier manner.

“Looking ahead in regard to the changes we’re going to make we decided to add the position,” Hughes said.

Regarding excused and unexcused absences, no changes have been made in the past few years. Students may have eight total excused and unexcused absences combined per class each semester before receiving no credit. Students with an excused absence, meaning a parent or guardian has notified the school by the day of the absence, receive a day plus one more to make up any missed work.  

Most of the changes made regarding tardies and absences have been made to meet state requirements of the necessary in-class hours.

“The state allows students to have so many absences, and you don’t want to have more than that. Ideally, you would want to meet at that number,” Hughes said.

The HCP School Board constructed all of this year’s policies pertaining to all HCP schools.