Study-out is an earned privilege for juniors and seniors with a GPA of 3.5 and no grade below a B. The much-desired privilege allows students to work wherever they please on campus during their study hall period, instead of being confined to a study hall classroom.

And with great power comes great responsibility; to earn study-out, students must also have less than ten unexcused absences to retain access to this benefit.

Just before the winter break, to the surprise of many, a group of juniors and seniors were notified that they would no longer have the ability to study out due to accumulating too many absences.

The students whose study-out was revoked received the following message from administration.

“Due to the number of non-school-related absences you have, your study-out privileges are being revoked for the remainder of the semester… If you need to meet with a teacher, please bring a note from the teacher to [your new study hall teacher] each time. You do have the chance of earning study-out again for the 2nd semester.”

The announcement shocked many upper-level Falcons who were unaware of that detail of the study-out policy, which states: “Students who miss ten or more days or class periods will be reassigned from study-out to a study hall that semester.”

The policy aims to incentivize coming to school and coming to school on time.

Senior Milaan Smith expressed that she was unhappy about the removal of her study-out privilege.

“I am very outraged by my study-out being taken, and I want it back. Why have it taken from me when I have had a 3.9 GPA and above my whole time here?”

While many students find this new policy unfair, the faculty, on the other hand, perceive the guideline as beneficial for not only the students but the teachers as well.

Director of Curriculum and Research Mrs. Christina Pommer shared her perspective on how helpful this new policy is for students and teachers.

“Teachers plan their classes thoughtfully and want students to attend, whether that’s for labs, discussions, lectures, or practice. Study-out is a privilege, so I think this is a good policy.”

But the question is: After a few months, has the policy made an impact? Are students arriving on time and to school frequently?

After speaking with Mrs. Conn just before the break, she explained that it was too early to tell if the policy is making a difference.

“First semester, I am unsure about the impact. I’ve spoken with a few students, and I think we will definitely see an improvement in attendance next semester.”

The absence officer himself, Mr. Holt, who is all-knowing when it comes to attendance, commented on the impact of the policy.

“I think the study-out policy is a good idea; it keeps the students accountable. I believe they [the total amount of absences] has gone down. The reason for that is the new study-out policy holds students accountable as we can track them down.”