Since their implementation last year, the execution of DHS attendance policies has been increasingly effective in decreasing the number of infractions this school year. 

First-year administrator Taylor Cross said that proactivity has been the key to successful attendance policies this year. “One thing we’re doing is just following up more,” Cross said. 

Another reason Cross credited is the new protocols, such as the attendance call in the mornings, when Dr. Cross calls all absent students from the previous day to verify their absence, and the SWIS system put in place this year. Cross said the current process allows for the administration to interact effectively with the students.  “[The SWIS system and attendance call] allows me to see patterns and to talk to students,”Cross said. 

While many students have noticed changes in the numbers of attendance infractions this year, the policy, said Cross, has not changed much. The main differences have been in the way they have been executed and implemented by teachers and staff. 

Cross said while he is happy with the current situation, there is always room to improve. “We’re always looking at our processes,” Cross said. 

Cross’s main goal for the future is educating students on the rules such as what constitutes AWOL and other infractions. “The purpose of that transparency is so students can be educated so they don’t make those decisions,” Cross said. 

There was a short video shown in advisement on Thursday, December 12 explaining in more detail the current attendance policies.