Wadsworth High School does not count in-car appointments for Driver’s Ed as an excused absence.  Even with a note or call from a parent, Driver’s Ed is not a reasonable explanation for the student to leave the building without it being marked on their attendance record. 

This means a student will be granted permission to leave if a parent calls in about an in-car appointment, but their attendance will be marked as an unexcused absence. This can impact students who may be trying to keep a perfect attendance record. If a student has too many unexcused absences, they get into trouble with the school. Meaning, that if a student is already on thin ice or close to being in trouble, the student could suffer the consequences of an appointment they booked months ago. 

Around sophomore year, most students get their temporary licenses as they reach 15 and a half and begin to learn to drive.

In-car appointments are the final step a student takes before scheduling an appointment for their driver’s test. Students can register for in-car appointments after completing a 24-hour total driving school where they are educated on car safety, road signs and regulations, and other tips and needed knowledge. 

“I think it shouldn’t affect our attendance because it’s something we’re required to do to get a license,” said sophomore Hannah Tefteller, a Sophomore at Wadsworth High School. 

 With so many students trying to get their licenses at once, in-cars can be hard to schedule. This can mean parents take any in-car appointment available to their child to get their licenses as efficiently as possible. However, these appointments can sometimes fall during the school day. 

Students have priorities outside of school work. Some are relying on getting their license to be able to get jobs or participate in extracurricular activities. Like any other appointment, students need to schedule and take time out of their day to go to that appointment.

If a student knows they are in good enough standing to leave school to do an in-car, then it should be excused like any other appointment and not diminish a student’s attendance. 

“I think that in-cars should be excused absences because it is really hard to schedule them and it doesn’t make sense that the school provides classes for Driver’s Ed, but marks you unexcused for in-cars,” said sophomore April Fenzel. “Lots of students have no choice but to schedule their in-cars during the school day and I think that administrators should be more lenient for students going through this process.” 

In-cars are an important priority in securing another step of responsibility in a student’s life. Schools should honor it as any other appointment due to its significance, just like any other appointment a student may have. The frustration of scheduling an in-car can be comparable to that of trying to schedule a dentist appointment. Typically, being booked and busy and having to wait until the very next available appointment is usually far out. Wadsworth High School should have the same sympathy for in-car appointments as any other appointment a student may have.