The worst feeling occurs during the last weeks of school with finals coming up. It occurs when you receive the one white piece of paper among the colored papers notifying you that you do not get to exempt a final either due to your absences or poor grades. In my case, it was due to many absences. I am a very familiar face to the attendance office. They know me by my first name and I am pretty sure they know my student ID by heart. Although I do commend the attendance office staff for their patience and kindness, the rules they are tied to are not very flexible to unique circumstances.

I suffer from chronic migraines and insomnia. If that isn’t stressful enough for a teenager in high school, I am constantly stressed with LT’s absences policy. I go to a neurologist as well as a primary care doctor, but I cannot simply go there for a doctor’s note every single time I have a headache or have trouble sleeping. I get migraines weekly and I only go to the neurologist every six weeks because of how booked it is, so every six weeks I have to let them know the days I missed and they have to write them all down and sign the sheet.

The policy for the average high school student makes sense, and I understand the school does not want to have students miss an unnecessary amount of school; but if a student has a medical issue or family issue, it should not even count as an absence. This policy has not only been a huge stressor for me, but my family too. My mom is constantly keeping track of the days I missed on a calendar and notebook so she can show the neurologist. I have talked to numerous students who are in a similar position as me, and they agree that the policy is unfair and has not been adjusted for students who struggle with medical issues. I do understand the concept of one doctor’s note showing proof of a medical problem, but every time you miss school seems a bit excessive.

Even for students that don’t miss school that often 11 absences isn’t that many. What happens if you catch a bad virus a few times and can’t get into your doctor, but suddenly feel better? LT administrators claim to be very accommodating for their students, but how accommodating are they really if they are so strictly bound to an unreasonable policy? The majority of LT students miss more than 11 days of school per semester, with conflicts such as college visits, trips, illness, family emergencies and stress. After doctor’s note after doctor’s note the constant calls and notes to my house becomes a bit invasive. If you are already not feeling well and the school has received several notes about your condition, the only reason they should be calling is to see how you are doing, not asking when you will be back or if you have another note for them.

I suggest the policy be modified on a case-by-case basis for those who struggle with medical issues. It is completely unfair to penalize students who have no control over their health. LT administrators should treat student’s absences individually rather than having all students tied to a policy that is not practical for all students. Students that are missing school constantly are already stressed enough the last thing they need is that white piece of paper.