“To be or not to be, that is the question,” is a famous quote we have all heard. However, a more modern version seems to be “to go to school or to stay home..” This mentality seems to be a growing issue among student populations, especially those of Sierra Linda. With it almost being the end of the year, the one and only thing running through student’s minds is the pool, summer breeze, and the joys of summer break. The motivation to go to school has decreased, especially within the senior class who has been hit with “senioritis” harder than any other class.

The lack of concern from the students is a worrying matter from staff and administration. When asked if student absences are a persistent issue on campus, Ms. Valenzuela, Assistant Principal of discipline and attendance, said, “Yes, absolutely. It is a very big issue, I have seniors who think that they don’t need to show up and that they’re going to graduate. It’s a big problem and the freshmen see that, so they pretty much want to do the same thing.”

Reducing school absences is a top priority due to the fact that school attendance and achievement correlate together. The less students come to school, the higher the chances are of them jeopardizing their future and graduation status. Worst case scenario would be getting dropped from school altogether due to excessive absences.

The SL attendance clerk, Patricia Lemos, has been kept busy these past days serving notices to students with too many absences. She mentions that “Credit is being withheld or any classes with 13 or more unverified absences this semester,” and that at this time, there are 244 students with 13 or more unverified absences. “More than likely these students will not receive credit for their classes. Final decision is to be made by guidance, Assistant Principal, and teachers,” she states.

With absences only continuing to rise, the quest to finding a solution is persistent. When asked what would be an ideal way to combat student absences, Mr. Bihn, advanced freshman and college algebra teacher says, “The only real way to face the attendance problem head-on is with real consequences. We should automatically pull credit for students who exceed the maximum number of absences, with only medical exceptions. In the first year, we would probably lose 200 students from our student body. However, in future years our students would know we take attendance seriously and they would straighten out. Not only that, quality students from other districts would want to enroll here because they knew we were tough on law breaking students. Within two years, our school would become one of the highest achieving in the district.”

In retrospect, most students agree with the fact that student absences is a rising issue on campus, but feel that they need more assurance or support within their environment. Other students feel there is no immediate solution, because it all depends on the person themselves to stay motivated.

In order to start progress, both students and staff must work together. Students must stay focused and find their true motivation within school and staff could help by making them feel they are accepted and genuinely wanted at school. More after school programs and events should be added in order to spark interest and build a stronger bond within the student population.