New tardy rules put students’ parking passes at risk
Jupiter High School administration is cracking down on tardy students in the morning with a new set of rules. These rules came into effect Sept. 29.
The first time a student is late in the morning, their parking pass is temporarily taken. The second time, it is permanently taken.
“We have an overabundance of students that are coming in late,” Joe Lang, an administrator at JHS who oversees parking passes, said. “On contract, it was five tardies [for a pass to be revoked]. We’ll stick with that for second through seventh period, but for first period you get one free chance and after that, you don’t get it back.”
Before the rule change, the cut-off for tardies was 7:40 a.m.
“I arrived at school around 7:31 a.m. to 7:32 a.m, and when I arrived, they asked for my parking pass,” Ryan Durso, a JHS senior, said.
Durso’s tardy on Sept. 29 was his second this school year.
“[Lang] said to come to his office,” Durso said. “But I’ll get [the parking pass back] next Tuesday.”
Lang expressed the number of late students was worse than ever.
“In the past, the majority of our students got here on time. We had two or three that came in a little bit late in the parking lot; now it’s hundreds,” Lang said. “On [Sept. 29] we pulled fifteen [parking passes]. That’s good, and then today we pulled nine, so it’s getting better. Our goal is zero.”
Isabella Delahunty, Sergeant at Arms of Student Government and Jupiter High senior, arrived late on Sept. 30.
“This is my first time being late. They shouldn’t take my pass for a single time. They already had the rules in place, five [tardies] and then they take your [parking pass],” Isabella Delahunty said.
Delahunty credits Jupiter’s long car lines for her tardiness.
“I got in the line on Military, I was at the post office at 7:15 and I could not get through the line. I was going so freaking slow, that I didn’t even make it into the school by 7:30,” Delahunty said.
Students have criticized the severity of the new protocol.
“It’s very threatening, in a way, because they’re trying to scare students who only have one tardy who don’t deserve their parking passes taken away,” Peyton Shaw, a senior, said.
Lang made clear that he is planning to enforce the rule logically.
“We’re not going to be so horrible if we know that there’s an accident on Indiantown Road, you know, obviously we’ll change gears on that day,” Lang said. “But because the bridge is up or because you caught a train, you need to prepare for that.”
Anonymous • Oct 6, 2021 at 9:53 pm
I got in line for school this morning at 7:10, and didn’t pull into the parking lot until 7:28. Am I supposed to get to school at 6:50? I am not arriving to school late, but the line is making me late instead. Anyday I think im not gonna make it, I will turn around and take the absence instead of getting my pass taken.
Anonymous • Oct 2, 2021 at 3:52 pm
I agree with what Sherri has to say. This is really harsh. We should fix the problem and not punish students for it. It isn’t necessarily students fault! The school has one car line, no other form of dropoff for the lines and 3,000 students! This includes a good portion of students who drive or are dropped off by their parents. There are kids who leave early and still don’t get in because the car line is so long. I don’t think this is fair. I don’t understand what telling them they can’t park in the lot is going to do to help them not be late. It doesn’t. It just puts more pressure on their parents to figure out how they get to school. Why should students get reprimanded for the line getting held up? Even the busses are late. There was already a rule in place, why does it need to be changed?
Kayli Richter • Oct 1, 2021 at 9:37 pm
I don’t think students should have to reap the consequences of the schools overpopulation, which is causing this long car line and students to be late. If school administration is allowing over 3,000 students to attend one school, they should be expecting some of the students to be tardy, as funneling that many kids into school in such a brief period is almost impossible.
Rachel Chazotte • Oct 1, 2021 at 9:17 pm
If I got to school ‘late’ in the morning I would rather take the absence than give up my parking pass. The contract says five tardies, not two.
Amy Drinkwater • Oct 1, 2021 at 8:13 pm
I agree Sherie!! My son was tardy twice this week. The second time he left the house even earlier and was still late! They wanted to take his pass and he refused!
Sherie Duttenhofer • Oct 1, 2021 at 12:40 pm
Perhaps instead of punishing kids administration should focus on solving the issue of the long lines.