By Haley Carlson and Madison Helvie

AHS has been racking up the tardies and absences this year.  Students have been late to class 1070 times, according to data compiled from the office records. Of these tardies 784 of them were unexcused. WHile students have also been absent from class, 1062 times so far this year. The certified enrollment for AHS this year is 438 students averaging to more than 2 absences per student.  So are they excused or are they just not making it to class?

According to Diane Saeugling the the most common days missed are Wednesday’s because students don’t show up. A pattern has emerged on bad weather days that students tend to show up late.

AHS Spanish teacher Daniel Vargason said that he has three students late on a daily basis. Vargason also said the excuse he hears most often is that the student was getting gas.

English teacher Maria Oltmans said the best excuse she has heard this year is “a student dropped their phone in the toilet but that the phone still worked.” Oltmans said she has one student late on a daily basis.

Science teacher Mrs. Hobson said she has had so many good excuses for tardiness that she could not pick just one. She has two students late on a daily basis.

We asked junior Marshall McDermott how many tardies he had this year.  He said that he believes he has three tardies and he never misses school. McDermott’s most used excuse is he has an ortho appointment.  Another student, Senior Elijah Von Weyhe said he has a few tardies. He believes he has five absences and four of them with “false” excuses. Von Weyhe’s popular excuse is that he’s sick.

How many times have you been late to class or just not shown up?