Merits of the Demerit System

A new demerit system is implemented this school year.

The demerit system works by applying different values to a variety of offenses, which range from one demerit to twenty-five. Minor offenses, such as being late to class or bringing a backpack into class, are only worth one demerit, while other offenses slowly gain more as the actions become worse. Punishments become more severe as more demerits are collected by a student, these punishments are explained in depth in the student handbook.

This system of discipline was instituted by the School Leadership Team, made up of the staff, board, and administration of the school.

“We felt that discipline was not equitable across the campus, that there were biases and partiality being shown, and also that there were inconsistencies. So we created a black and white system, so that discipline would be equitable across all grades,” said Dean of Administration, Chris Harper. 

Although helping in most cases, some students have made complaints against the new discipline plan.

“We get complaints with everything we do around here,” continued Harper, “We take what’s good for it [the school], we always listen to every complaint and criticism, we take what we need to learn, and we try to move forward.”

While discipline is not the most fun thing in the world, it enforces good behavior and is beneficial in life. According to the Army and Navy Academy, “Proper discipline is crucial to every area of life, and, contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t mean being harsh towards teenagers or forcing them to live a restrictive lifestyle. Rather, true discipline focuses upon inner-strength, self-control, and the ability to manage actions and reactions.”

While the paper is not allowed to print the actual amount of demerits so far, there have been less infractions than estimated.

“I think the entire culture of our school has taken a positive direction, not only because of the discipline plan, but largely because our students understand the boundaries, where in the past the boundaries were kind of poorly defined,” said Harper.