For other recent news in the attendance department, check out the record number of absences on Respect Life Day here.

Teachers are required to take attendance in the beginning of every class, which started Jan. 24, the first day of the second semester.

Previously, attendance was taken during the first class of each school day.  However, this system has changed due to certain safety precautions and legalities.

“You have to think about it in terms of an emergency.  If there was an emergency and we had to do a lockdown, I would have to know immediately who was not in a classroom.  We would have to account for [the students] in some way or another,” Principal Madelyn Ball said.

“Legally nowadays, the school has to be held accountable for attendance at a moment’s notice because of the things that happen in schools nowadays. If there was an emergency, myself along with Ms. Tebin and Mr. Wilson we have to just be able to grab a report that will say exactly who’s in class and who isn’t in class,” Ball said.

Grace Kim is Online Chief for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.