Last year, students averaged 115 tardies per day in a 170 day school year, which at the end of the year added up to a total of 19,576 tardy students. 

     “The first year we were in our new building, the admin team was in the front office, and there’s only six teachers and six classes on that side,” Principal Susie Orsborn said. ”This side of the building has 57 teachers and 57 classrooms. Everybody was on this side of the building, and we were no longer on that side of the building.”

     According to Assistant Principal Rich Engel, many teachers were complaining, “frequently, almost daily, we had teachers complain about tardies and students in the hallways.”

      “The tardy policy has always been the same, it was just super hard to enforce it,” Orsborn said, “and everyone [who was tardy] had to check in at the front office.” Previously, it was up to teachers to keep track of tardies, then write detentions or referrals. “So we took that off their plate,” she said. “[The tardy carts] were about trying to be supportive.” 

The tardy carts brings many other benefits, especially for students. Not having to make a 20 minute trip back to the front of the school after the bell rings is a much better way to start the morning. And free snacks to help students make it through the new schedule are a highlight.