Venice High has recently implemented multiple new attendance policies, including two daily tardy sweeps. 

According to David Galley, the dean of students, the new tardy sweep policies are “out to curb the number of tardies.”

Students have six minutes to get to each class. During a tardy sweep, any student that does not make it to class on time must report to the attendance office and receive a tardy slip, which they must show their teacher before entering class. 

“Tardies are a serious problem because they disrupt the class, and take away from instructional time,” Galley said.

According to Galley, if students have five or more tardies, they will need to attend a 20 minute lunch detention on Wednesdays, where counselors will go over the importance of getting to class on time. 

If students continue to “rack up” tardies, after school activities may be involved. According to attendance counselor Patricia Austin, the number of tardies has decreased since the introduction of tardy sweeps. 

“As more students are becoming aware of the tardy sweeps I now see them moving faster to get to class on time,” she said.

Some students have mixed reactions regarding the new policy.

“I have never been caught in the tardy sweep, and I don’t want to, but I think it’s good,” junior Leylani Martinez said. 

Students who have gotten caught up in the tardy sweeps have missed out on class time while walking to and from the attendance office with their slips. 

“I was tardy to my class and had to get a tardy slip in front of the attendance office,” freshman Isabella Ramirez said. “I found that very pointless. I could have been in my class right now.”