Almost half the senior class was marked absent today, the day before a six-day break, with the overall attendance rate dropping almost 10 percent.

280 students did not come to school today, 163 of them seniors — an absence rate dramatically higher than usual. “The average attendance rate is about 97%,” Ms. Jammie Harper (Attendance) said, “and we’re down in the high 80’s today. Approximately 40% of seniors are absent today.”

Empty parking spaces dotted the senior lot during the day, and many classrooms were half-empty. Many teachers continued with their regular lesson plans, though it was difficult to carry them out with a third to a half of the class missing, as was the case in Ms. Thayne Bruszewsky’s classes. “It’s kind of tough,” Ms. Bruszewsky (English) said. “The last red day almost that many people were gone for the dance concert, so we tried to modify and combine both days.”

“It’s almost hard to maintain focus,” Ms. Erica Cooper (English) said. “That’s your job, of course, but it’s harder when half the class is gone.”

Absent juniors will have to make up the ACT pre-registration that took place today.