Jones College Prep has introduced new AcLab attendance policies for the 2024-2025 school year, prompting mixed reactions from students.

This year, AcLab has been split into two back-to-back 40 minute blocks and one 15 minute block at the end for AcLab check-in. Students are required to scan into whatever areas they choose to occupy and are not allowed to leave that space until the 40 minute block is over, a particularly controversial part of the new policies.

“I think usually I have more than just two places to go [during AcLab], which usually won’t take 40 minutes per place,” said Alec Nunziati ‘28. “I originally thought it would be more manageable, but now it’s been a little frustrating.”

Nunziati and other students are experiencing difficulty accomplishing everything they need to get done during AcLab due to the new policies.

“I wanted to see my counselor, visit the orchestra room, and do a little homework, but obviously there are only two sessions,” said Nunziati. “I had to cut off things that I probably would have been able to do with the old policies.”

Many students also express confusion over the new rules, noticed firsthand by Senior Class President Michael Lane ‘25. 

“I feel like a lot of students have been a little confused about these policies,” said Lane. “ It’s not been well talked about, and many people are confused on what repercussions or punishments could be by not following these policies.” 

Jones College Prep Assistant Principal Verneisha Gair said that the new scanning policy during AcLab is directly related to attendance, and students who do not scan in will be faced with absences and attendance markdowns.

“The first few days we offered grace, so you wouldn’t get a cut, but it is important to scan in during AcLab,” said Gair.

Gair was one of the Jones administrators involved in these new policies. 

“First and foremost, our priority is student safety,” said Gair. “While we absolutely appreciate the structure of AcLab and its flexibility for enabling teachers and students to meet and collaborate, we also are responsible for keeping almost 2,000 students safe. It is important that we know where students are in real time at all times.”

Some students, however, share differing perspectives when it comes to student safety during AcLab.

“I feel like before there was never as much of a high concern for security,” said Lane. “I feel like it was never that big of an issue until it was made to seem like that big of an issue.”

Still, between students sneaking out of AcLab and fights that broke out during the study period, the committee of Jones teachers and staff, including Assistant Principal Gair, concluded these rules to be necessary.

“It’s important that at any given time we know where students are [for] anything from a simple early dismissal to [an] emergency, we need to know where students are,” said Gair.

Gair and the rest of the Jones administration recognize that the current changes are not necessarily final as students get acclimated to the new policies.

“We have not defined any [changes] at this time, but anytime you implement a large-scale change, I think it’s important for ongoing feedback and then making revisions to the extent possible,” said Gair. “We are trying to balance the needs for knowing where students are and student safety.” 

Despite frustration with some changes, some students offer suggestions on how to improve the current setup. 

  “I think I would make it fully open and you would scan into the area each time you go somewhere else,” said Nunziati. “Maybe splitting it up into four or five blocks instead would allow students to go everywhere that they need to.”

The new AcLab policies at Jones have caused a stir amongst the student body and will continue to be discussed by both students and the administration.

“I think we’re just gonna have to adapt to these new policies, and I think it will end up just becoming an everyday routine,” said Lane. “Jones students always adapt.”