Indiana high school to initiate detention fees
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – Students at Concordia Lutheran High School will be paying their school a detention fee starting the 2017-2018 school year. The fees will range from $5 to $30.
According to Dean of Student Success Phillip Brockman, this initiative is a way to get students to take more ownership of themselves. They’ve seen it implemented in schools across the country with positive success.
After a student’s fifth morning tardy to school, they will have to start paying the school. For the sixth and seventh tardies they pay $5 for each.
For the eighth and ninth tardies they are sent to Saturday school, where they pay $30 per session. The rate is $10 per hour, with Saturday school lasting three hours. Brockman said the $30 helps them cover the cost of student supervision.
“The important thing is we want students here at the start of the school day,” said Principal Patrick Frerick. “The school day here at Concordia starts at 8 o’clock in the morning, the classroom ready to go, not rolling in at 8:15 or 8:20 and independent and irregardless of what traffic is to get themselves from wherever they live to here at Concordia ready to go at 8 o’clock in the morning.”
Some parents are in support of the new fine saying it teaches students responsibility and holds them accountable.
NewsChannel 15, a sister station to 24-Hour News 8, talked to a Concordia parent that disagrees. They wanted to remain anonymous.
“I think that’s not needed,” he said. “I think what’s needed is community service along the way and really if the kid’s not going to make it to school on time they’re only hurting themselves and their learning opportunities. I don’t know why you would slap the parents wrist because of the fact that they’re already paying 10 grand or more per year for a private Lutheran education. So to nickel and dime on top of that, I don’t think that’s the right method. My method would be community service especially since it’s a Christian school.”
Brackmann said they’re trying to help their students make the most of their education and being at school on time and for the entire day is how you accomplish that. He thinks the new fine is fair.
“They get five free ones in the morning already so it’s not like we’re digging them on the second one or the third one,” he said. “You get five. If we’re already at five and we’re going to six or seven, I don’t know the magic potion to get a student here to school. We looked outside of the box and we’re trying it.”
The money collected from the fines will go toward paying Saturday school supervisors. Anything left over will go toward school service projects.
Brackmann said when the students do get fined he hopes the parents will make the students pay the fine rather than paying it for them.