It is well known that Huntley High School has not been super lucky with a fast-moving student parking lot. The roads leading to the school are slammed with cars both before and after the school day. For example, in the past month, a light snowfall caused so many students to be late to school, that right after the first bell rang they had to switch to our late start schedule.

“Two tardies being equivalent to a lunch detention is way too harsh, that should be changed,” sophomore Olivia Mallett said.

The point is students believe that due to the unpredictability of the traffic flow going into the school, the tardy rules and guidelines should be reduced and more understanding of each student’s circumstance. 

“It’s just not a good idea [that] two tardies make up a lunch detention. It is super strict and there is no reason for it,” sophomore Ava Allison said. 

However, according to Tom Kempf, the tardy rules are not what needs to be changed.

“As a student, it is my expectation that you adjust your morning patterns to get to school on time.  This is not a tardy policy concern but really a concern with students and families not making the proper morning adjustments to their routines” Kempf said. 

The students also have plenty of time to adjust their morning schedule, as for the first few weeks of the school year the teachers are super understanding about not making it on time. 

“We do not start counting tardies to first hour for multiple weeks starting into a school year,” Kempf said.

After the students become comfortable with their schedules and have been going to school for a few weeks, then it starts becoming unacceptable and irresponsible to be late for class. That is when the teachers start using tardies. 

“You earn a tardy by not being in class when the bell rings.  Teachers enforce this in slightly different ways depending on the class and other pieces but that is the gist of it,” Kempf said. 

Overall, the tardy rules are going to continue to stay in place as they are. Instead, the students need to change their morning routine in order to make it to school on time.