After a change in Texas law stated that all schools must require attendance of at least 90 percent of class days to earn credit for the course, all absences still must be documented by either doctor note or parent written note, Bowie administrators came up with a strategy to boost overall campus attendance.

Incentives will now be offered to students if certain attendance requirements are met each semester. The incentives include minor privileges like off periods and selected exam exemption, but the most talked about of the three is the option, strictly for seniors, to have a designated and personalized parking spot.

“The reactions I saw to the new policies at first were a bit shocked and confused,” freshman Grace Little said. “But now that we’re all used to it I don’t think anyone even thinks much of it.”

Beginning the second semester the administrators set up a video presentation to explain the new policies and incentives to all students simultaneously during a mandatory FIT session, creating a build up of  mixed emotions campus-wide.

“When my older brother Andrew went to Bowie they started and ended school at different times, had longer passing periods and lunches, and FIT didn’t exist,” senior Madi Little said. “He thinks some of the changes have been good but there have definitely been a lot just in the past few years, by the time Grace graduates who knows what it will be like.”

According to austinisd.org, every day a student is absent from class costs AISD $45 in revenue from the state. If that was to improve by just one percent district-wide, it would result in $5.9 million per year in increased state revenue.

“I think the school’s decision [for the incentives] was definitely influenced by money,” junior Mason Kendrick said. “But that doesn’t mean our school doesn’t have a problem with attendance.”

There were multiple pushes for this change all throughout AISD to create an overall healthier educational environment, however, the administration added a little intrigue for the students.

These incentive ideas are attempting to appeal to all students. Whether it be the painted parking spot pulling at one’s natural drive for creativity or the opportunity for exam exemption shining before one ambitious scholar striving for straight A’s.

“I hope that people take the incentives seriously and really take advantage of the opportunities being handed to them,” Madi Little said. “I mean, having your own personal parking spot would be pretty cool and so would a diploma.”

According to austinisd.org, a diploma has an economic value. High school graduates earn 38 percent more than those without a diploma, and college graduates earn 140 percent more.

“The craziest thing is, and it happens year after year,” US History teacher Ruth Widner said. “When students become seniors they just decide that school is optional, that class is optional, but it isn’t. Not if you want to graduate.”

In retrospect, it’s not impossible to survive without a standard high school diploma but the case of not graduating due to attendance is extreme and not common.

“It is true, I think, that school just isn’t for some people but there’s definitely a difference in that and just being lazy,” senior Lauryn Kendrick said. “I know someone who dropped out of high school, got her GED, and directly went into the film business. But I also know people that have dropped out of high school with no ambition and no concrete support that waste away all their unused potential.”

According to austinisd.org the five main reasons students drop out of school or fail to graduate are: the classes weren’t interesting, the student misses too many classes to catch up, the student spent time with people not enrolled in school, the student was given too much freedom, or the student was continuously failing.

“We are simply trying to help students want to come to school,” Widner said.

The incentives will be offered fully to the classes following 2016.

“I mean, you can ask anybody and I’m sure they’ll tell you high school is far from exciting but just showing up can get you so far,” Mason Kendrick said.