For the second semester of the 2025-26 school year, there was an update to the tardy policy put into effect. 

Over the past several years, the staff at AHS has observed an increase in tardiness, even through multiple layers of support and interventions. The existing system provided meaningful guidance and support for early tardies. They have identified a need to strengthen expectations and accountability for students who continue to struggle despite past supports. This new policy was put into place to serve students and ensure consistent expectations. 

In a letter sent to the students and their parents/guardians, Principal Heather McKay said, “We believe that punctuality is more than simply arriving on time.” She explained that it is a life skill rooted in “responsibility, respect, and readiness to learn.” This change is important because frequent tardiness reduces students’ access to instruction, disrupts classroom learning, creates patterns that become harder to correct over time, and impacts long-term habits related to employment, responsibility, and accountability. 

The tardy count is counted across the board of all your classes. On the students’ 11th tardy, they have to turn in their phones to the office at the beginning of the school day. After the student’s 15th tardy, an administrative review and a family conference will be conducted, in addition to the consequences of the 11th tardy. An individualized improvement plan will also be developed in partnership with the family to address ongoing tardiness and support student success. 

The part of the policy that is going to stay the same is listed in the table below. There hasn’t been an issue with the students who are only late here and there, so the consequences for that are going to stay the same.

There was also a Tardy Policy FAQ sent out, which provides students and their parents with a better understanding of what to expect.

McKay said, “These changes reinforce a consistent schoolwide message: Punctuality matters. You matter. And we are here to help you succeed.”