The feeling of getting a call home saying you weren’t in class, or getting a slip saying you need a certain percentage on the exam to pass, is one of the worst feelings for a highschool student. In the past, all Portage Northern students were allowed up to ten absences per semester. Once the ten absences were exceeded, that student must get at least a C or higher on the exam to pass the class. For a lot of students, getting a grade like that on an exam is extremely difficult. 

This year however, due to the coronavirus outbreak, the ten absence rule has been paused.

 “Essentially, students will not have to be concerned with the 10th absence rule until we return to full in-person instruction,” says assistant principal Nate Ledlow. “We made this change to help alleviate some of the pressures and concerns that people are experiencing due to the pandemic.”