Last year, I became aware of “time for time.” As it was explained to me, a fee of $15 per class is charged along with the student sitting at school to take up space and do nothing for time missed. This in itself was silly. Sit there and do nothing?

If you miss classes, didn’t you miss someone teaching something? What good does it do to take up space? If the student had low grades, they need to be tutored on what they missed. Unfortunately, that doesn’t matter. Some of the students had excellent grades.

While excessive absence is not a good thing, many parents, do not send children to school if they are sick. I do not take my own to the doctor at every cough or sneeze. However, if their grades are not being affected, and it’s not more than a few times, why be punished?

What’s up with having to pay? Is this not public school? We have already paid taxes to run this school. Whose pocket is this lining? I am a single mom struggling to make ends meet, and now find that unless I pay $75, my child won’t graduate. There are lots of others with limited funds who might not be able to scrape together this money.

In a time when drop-out rates are so high, why is it that money is again the only obstacle keeping good students from graduating? It is time to re-evaluate our public school policies. This is not the only one in question.

DENISE HEATH, Coosa