How do VHS students feel about the new tardy sweep policy
During the spring of the 2023-24 school year, Ventura High School implemented tardy sweeps for the first time, with no warning as to what periods they would be. This year, they have become a full-time thing, being enforced every period.
Tardy sweeps are a way to encourage students to get to class on time by giving them lunch detention if they do not make it to class by the second bell. It can help keep students from wandering around campus and instead go straight to class. However, some might say there are many negatives with the new requirements, leading to many different opinions between staff and students about the new policy.
Some students, mostly freshmen, have negative thoughts about this policy, especially since most of them have not experienced anything like this in middle school. Autumn Feldhans ‘28 said, “It is kinda scary to think that if I dont make it like exactly when the bell rings I’m gonna get a lunch detention ‘cause I have never gotten detention before.”
Chloe Diemel ‘28 said, “I think it’s kinda pointless because it’s really not going to do anything but punish the kids who kinda try because if kids are going to be late, oh well they are going to be late, detention is not gonna stop them from being late.”
There are also students and staff that had positive opinions on the tardy sweeps. History teacher, Tyree Cruz said, “I’ve noticed that more of my students are here on time and as for negative effects, there are none. ” Metzli Perez ‘25 said, “It affects our school positively, and encourages me to at least try to be on time and I won’t be missing important class time”.
English teacher, Andrew Collins said, “I would call them a necessary evil, in the sense that it does feel like a drastic measure and that it seems to be working and helping. Even from my own observations as a teacher, like, I was a long term sub here a couple years ago. So, comparing like, teaching before tardy sweeps before versus after, there were a lot more tardies before they started doing them more. And like, this year so far being tardy has hardly been an issue at all, and so, as a teacher it seems to be helping get kids to class on time and I really appreciate that because it means I can teach you guys more and have a more productive class time.”
