In Hillsborough County, seniors are able to exempt from their final exams, but only if they have a C or higher and no more than 5 absences for the semester. This is an incredibly unfair and unreasonable rule. If a student is passing the class, and there is an option to not take the exam in the first place, why are we enforcing this policy? If a student is hospitalized and misses more than 5 days of school, they are required to take the exam. This is ridiculous to many.

If the county wishes to enforce good attendance, I propose adjusting the rule to 5 absences per quarter, rather than semester. Students get sick and miss school and it’s impossible to plan these things. By having 5 absences per quarter, students are still able to gain a valuable education. Furthermore if they are able to maintain a passing grade, that should make them more than eligible to exempt from final exams. Another important note is that the county got rid of this policy the last two years. This proves it to be unnecessary. 

Seniors work hard through their 4 years of high school. They deserve to get out of their final exam, especially if they have passing grades.