This October, SCHS announced an adjustment to their tardy enforcement system called Tardy Shark. At least once a week, the “Jaws” theme song will play through the halls after the one-minute bell, and teachers will lock their doors once the final bell rings. Anyone still in the hallways receives a 30-minute detention on a later day.

Despite passing periods being stretched to ten minutes, administrators such as Principal Gregory Shelby noticed a growing sense of indifference.

“We just saw a growing apathy in terms of students getting to class, and we needed something that was going to (encourage) getting into class. But we hope to do so in a way that was seen by most as kind of fun,” Shelby said.

Vice Principal Robert Griffin emphasized that beneath the casual undertone of Tardy Shark, the policy shift was about upholding discipline among students.

“I really think it’s (Tardy Shark) just having people raise the level of importance and bringing attention to it (getting to class on time) and having it be a value,” Griffin said. “Because let’s face it, if I showed up to work late 20 times, they’d find a new vice principal.”

There was a split in reactions among students. For freshman Rhianna Jabbal, getting to class with Tardy Shark was not a huge concern, especially with the generous amount of time students get.

“I think it’s fair because you have ten minutes to get to class, and the Tardy Shark is basically the one-minute bell. You do have a lot of time to get to class, and if you’re stuck outside, it’s your fault because you can definitely make it to class in ten minutes,” Jabbal said.

Though some say Tardy Shark has implemented motivation at school, sophomore Mark Kim shared the unnecessary pressure he faces at school due to the new system.

“If anything, it’s just more stressful and just another thing that occupies my mind,” Kim said. “As soon as that rings, everybody is scrambling and that actually makes it harder to get to your class because now there’s a bunch of teenagers around speed walking.”

Senior Miraya Patel, who sees both sides, argued that the system helps with getting people to class on time but acknowledged a major downside.

“I also think it’s more stressful because now there’s more work put on staff. I know that because now it’s not announced when Tardy Sharks are happening, there’s more and more detentions, and so I feel it’s just a lot of work for the staff to write all of the slips out,” Patel said.

As students continue to find ways to avoid getting caught in Tardy Sharks, Shelby shared that they have seen less students arrive to class late since the system was introduced.

“We have seen a reduction in tardies (25-30%), definitely in periods where we have the Tardy Shark, but importantly, we’ve also seen it in other periods as well,” Shelby said. “We’re really happy because we have seen less apathy about getting to class in general (and) more people that are making sure they’re close to their class before the one-minute bell.”

With the help of student and teacher feedback, many staff are open to future adjustments. Griffin offered what he has learned from the initiation process.

“I think we’re still learning what works and what doesn’t. I don’t think there are any changes in the works at the moment, but I wouldn’t be surprised if by the middle of the school year, we learned, ‘This isn’t working as well as we should. Let’s tweak it a little bit,’” Griffin said.

For many, the Tardy Shark has begun to change the way that timely attendance is valued. Whether it becomes a long-term solution or a learning experiment, the procedure will depend on how students and staff continue to adapt in the months ahead.

“Students need to know what it takes to succeed,” Griffin said. “They (teachers) like it. They see the effort that is happening, and they feel the students are taking it (school) a little more seriously.”