A new procedure was adapted this year to make obtaining admits easier for teachers and students.

However, new problems have developed regarding the system, such as the confusion of whether an absence is excused or unexcused.

Last year, students complained of being forced to stand in long lines in the morning in order to get admits. Students then took admits to their teachers, who recorded an excused or unexcused absence.

This year, students go to their homeroom teacher to receive admit forms. The absences are initially put into the grade book by the teacher as unexcused. The forms are sent down to the office with attendance and are separated by Attendance Coordinator Cheryl Daniels. She uses the computer program, ISIS, to mark the absence as excused or unexcused. Later, she goes to the teachers’ grade books to do this again. This process usually takes three to four days, but it depends on which day the admit was filled out. On days such as those before winter break, there are more admits and it takes a longer time for them to be processed.

“For me, it’s a lot of work, but it’s better than before because we don’t have a mass of students [in the office],” Daniels said.

Daniels believes that the new system is more effective and is more beneficial to the students. Once she gets used to the process, it will be completed more smoothly.

Although Principal Matthew Welker has said that the new system was established to address students’ complaints, some students are still troubled with the procedure.

Junior Shanae Reid favors last year’s process because it was easier for her.

“I’d rather go to the office. It’s easier to have a signed admit that you can take to your teachers so that you are sure you’re teacher knows whether [the absence] was excused or unexcused,” she said.

English teachers Andrew Reich and Susan Gropper have also experienced problems with the admit procedure.

Reich said that not knowing whether absences were judged excused or unexcused yet is problematic. He says that it usually takes about a week for him to find out whether an absence has been judged. Additionally, if the absence remained unexcused, there is no way for teachers to recognize if the absence ought to be unexcused or simply hasn’t been judged yet.

Susan Gropper said that the admit procedure has become a “frustrating mess” because of the uncertainty of whether an absence is excused or unexcused. She said that it is hard to carry out the school’s policy of giving make-up work to those students who were absent.

“I want to see a student with an admit the day after [he] is absent,” Gropper said, showing her preference of last year’s system.

Because of the complaints about the current admit system, Assistant Principal Patrick Lacouty is reviewing the process. The administrators want all attendance capabilities in the electronic grade book system to be available so that attendance information is sent directly through the computer.