Tardy, early-leaving kids vex principal
By TARA REILLY / Staff Writer
The rash of students at Clear Spring Elementary School who either arrive at school late or leave early is causing problems for the school's staff and disrupts the learning environment, according to Principal Jill Burkhart.
Burkhart said the problem has been mounting since the beginning of the school year. It's become so bad that she sent parents a letter in mid-December telling them it must stop.
"Leaving school early, arriving late or missing school for reasons other than medical or educational is unacceptable," she wrote. "This cannot continue. When a student leaves school early for non-school reasons, it's a disruption to the student, the teacher, the classroom and the school."
Parents often bring their children to school late and then pull them out of class early without plausible excuses, she said. Anywhere from three students or more a day are either tardy or are picked up from school early. The problem affects all grades, Burkhart said.