Glacier Peak High School has the lowest attendance record of all the surrounding schools in our area.   Many students are skipping one period unexcused, most often first period.

“Wanting to sleep in or stop at a café is no reason to miss school. It’s like coming late to a job, which gets you fired,” Terry Ryan, a counselor and soccer coach said.

The current rule for all students states they must go to court with their parents after nine unexcused absences. The school had to do something else about the problem, and the most recent one applies to all student athletes.

The old rule for athletes was to be at school for at least three periods to play that day. The new rule, received by coaches, states that if the students miss even one period unexcused, they cannot play in the practice or game going on after school.

“Coming to school is more important than getting Starbucks in the morning. It’s your future, but it depends on what you do now,” Melinda Torre, a gym teacher and soccer coach said.

She believes students have the responsibility to come in every day, and to have a valid excuse for missing classes.

“Each coach has the prerogative to have a higher standard, as long as it’s shared with their athletes and parents,” said Mr. Judkins, the school’s athletic director.

Some coaches took the initiative.

“We work to make our players better in soccer, but we also want them to improve in school. The girls on both junior varsity and varsity are expected to get higher than an F in all of their classes,” Christine Windrim, girls soccer junior varsity coach said.

“If it is unexcused the school has every right to prohibit the student from playing, people can’t just be skipping their classes. They’re athletes and the should be examples, always putting school before their sports,” Elizabeth Hood, a player on the freshmen volleyball team explained.

There have not been any other rules made for the general student body yet, but Principal Larson has been supportive, believing our school can do better.

“It saddens me because−not because you can’t make up the work, whether it’s on Canvas, do the work at home. You can’t recreate the experience of being in a classroom, and as much as people want to get out of high school, you only get to do this one time. And once it’s over, you don’t ever get to come back,” Larson said.