Miss school after prom, miss your graduation

BY VINCENT TODARO
Staff Writer

EAST BRUNSWICK — Senior students who skip school the Monday after prom night next year will not be allowed to walk in the graduation ceremony.

The Board of Education has decided to more strictly enforce its attendance policy, which up until now did not punish students who clearly were just skipping school the day, or even days, after the annual prom. But that will change, district officials said.

At a recent Board of Education meeting, East Brunswick High School Principal Robert Murphy gave a presentation explaining the amount of truancy that has historically occurred in the days following a prom. That needs to change, he said, and he recommended that students who do skip school afterward not be allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony.

Patricia LaDuca, district coordinator of community relations and programs, told the Sentinel that those students will have their diplomas released on June 23, the day after graduation.

And the punishment also applies to 10th- and 11th-grade students who skip school after the prom, which is scheduled for June 2, she said. Additionally, those students will not be eligible for parking privileges the first semester of their senior year.

Students would be exempt from the punishment only if they produce documentation that their absence from school was the result of a medical condition, some type of college orientation, or an appointment for a driver’s exam, LaDuca said.

“This has been done in other districts, and East Brunswick has had a running problem with attendance on Mondays like this,” Baker told the Sentinel. “We wanted to get more kids to school.”

In addition, as officials stated at the board meeting, the district wants to make sure students are safe during the week following prom. Many students rent houses or rooms for after-prom activities, sometimes for as long as a week.

“These kids go to the Shore and rent houses,” Baker said. “The kids lay out the money, and I guess parents help pay.”

LaDuca said parents have been informed about the stricter enforcement of the attendance policy.

Baker said the truancy is still a problem that Tuesday and Wednesday, but is much worse on the Monday following the prom.

He noted how the action has been implemented with success in at least one other nearby school district.

He also said that Murphy “took great pains” to get input from staff, students and the administration in this recommendation.

Some board members disagreed with the decision, though, arguing the penalty was a bit harsh.

Baker said the move was the result of a decision made by Murphy and the administration, but speaking as a parent, he believes it is a “great idea.”