![As the school year continues, Intervention Teacher On Special Assignment (TOSA) and science teacher Erin Arredondo continue to look for additional ways that can ensure that students will be on time to class. “I've been able to have positive conversations with students when they are reaching certain levels [of tardiness],” Arredondo said. “They've been very receptive and have stated they're going to try to get here on time. We try to help them figure out ways or identify how they can get here on time.”](https://portolapilot.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_4430-copy-1200x900.jpg)
To discourage tardies, Portola High staff is enforcing a stronger attendance policy for the new school year.
Throughout the past years at Portola High, staff members have noticed a gradual decline in the student bodies’ prioritization of attendance. Concerned, some teachers requested daily notifications on Parent Square to inform guardians every time their student is tardy, according to Intervention Teacher On Special Assignment (TOSA) and science teacher Erin Arredondo.
“We’ve noticed in the past that students who sometimes aren’t doing as well academically start to have symptoms like being late,” Arredondo said. “A lot of times, those attendance habits can be a clue that they need extra help. So, we’re hoping to identify those students quicker and get them the assistance they need.”
As the intervention TOSA this year, Arredondo has been working with the attendance office to focus on setting enforcement systems in place and running weekly reports to ensure that everyone is held accountable for their attendance. Once a student reaches five tardies, they, along with their guardians, will receive a warning letter. After 10 tardies, the student will face detention, and eventually, Saturday school, if it persists.
“We haven’t had many students getting consequences yet,” Assistant Principal Jen Ochsner said. “But we want to see that we recognize that students might be tardy, but that they are not continuing to repeat the behavior. People make mistakes — we oversleep sometimes, but once that happens enough times that we’re revisiting, we should begin to ask, ‘How can we make some corrections?’”
With a growing emphasis on personal attendance accountability and academic commitment, some students have begun voicing their support for the new policy, according to junior Fatma Agueel.
“I do hope people start taking classes and [attendance] seriously,” Agueel said. “Because this isn’t just a high school thing. It’s a life thing. You need to be respectful of other people’s time and stick to the commitments you make. So I do think this is going to help lots of people in the long run, and I hope it helps people take academics more seriously.”
As the year persists and tardies increase, the attendance office and Arredondo continue to find ways to encourage students to be timely, such as awarding class parties to advisement classes with the least amount of tardies.