Costa’s new attendance policy is well-intentioned, but it could unintentionally make habitual truancy worse.
Under the policy, students with seven or more absences are assigned to Study Zone, a mandatory four-hour session on Saturday mornings. If they miss one, they have to attend the next two sessions. While this consequence aims to encourage responsibility, it often fails to address the real reasons why some students miss class.
Some absences come from simple errors, like forgetting to sign into Office Hours, or from unavoidable challenges like transportation issues or mental health struggles, none of which are currently excused.
This year, clearing absences has gotten harder. The window to fix them dropped from five days to three, but processing still takes over a week. Some Study Zones are assigned for missed detentions, often scheduled during 0 or 6th period, which can interfere with classes or practice. While academics should come first, this forces student-athletes into tough choices that can impact both their performance and their standing.
Once assigned, Study Zone is largely inflexible. Students are expected to attend regardless of prior commitments—like jobs, medical appointments, or family obligations. There’s no formal system to reschedule, and many students report receiving no response after reaching out for accommodations. In a recent poll of 78 students who attended or were assigned to Study Zone, 62% said they had a prior conflict, and 71% reported attempting to contact administration to reschedule, with only 18% receiving a response.
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