West Essex, like many other schools, has an absence policy that treats athletes differently based on one factor: whether or not the sport benefits the school.
The district creates a two-tier system where one’s choice of sport determines how they’re treated. School athletes get excused absences for games, tournaments, meets, etc. Generally, everyone else gets 18 absences before things get complicated. According to the West Essex 2025-26 Student Handbook, there is an appeal process available; however, the Attendance Committee reviews them in June. Meaning, if the appeal is not approved and athletes have over the accepted amount of absences, they’re out of luck.
For students competing in dance, gymnastics, badminton or any sport outside school walls, those absences disappear quickly. These athletes come to school with fevers or injuries because they can’t afford another absence as they’ve already used most for competitions and need the rest for future instances. The student handbook states that medical “appointments should be scheduled after school” yet, many athletes don’t have this kind of time between training, homework, volunteering and other responsibilities.
This isn’t about students losing credit; most keep their grades up because they have to. But when these athletes need every possible absence for competing, they can’t afford to miss school for anything else. Students go to amazing cities and see nothing but the inside of sports facilities, getting there just in time to compete and then leaving promptly after. They come to school on the verge of fainting because staying home isn’t an option.
Oftentimes, these students train at least 20 hours a week while maintaining their grades. They compete at national and international levels in sports demanding just as much discipline as school teams require. They huddle over textbooks late at night when they should be resting before competitions. They search for WiFi at facilities between events to submit assignments. They wake up early, get home late and do their best to keep up academically.
School sports benefit the institution. It’s understandable they’d be favored: they bring in crowds, generate revenue, build community pride. Out-of-school sports only benefit the student, and the school treats their absences the same as skipping.
However, the consequences are real and harmful. Students make impossible choices between competing and protecting their attendance records. They sit in classrooms barely conscious, spreading illness because they can’t afford to stay home. They miss family events, skip doctor’s appointments and sacrifice their health to avoid another absence. And for what? To be treated like they’re doing something wrong when they pursue excellence. These are students who could be recruited for elite programs, who could earn scholarships, who are building futures in their sports. The exhaustion is overwhelming but the lack of recognition is worse.
So, unfortunately, what it looks like is that the school only cares about athletes who benefit them: not the others working tirelessly for their efforts to go unrecognized. It’s possible there’s another reason, but it’s not visible and it’s certainly not helping.
The system teaches us that institutions value you based on what you can do for them, not what you’re achieving. It teaches us to ignore our health, push through illness, prioritize attendance over recovery all for doing what we love.
But the solution isn’t complicated. Our school could establish a process where students submit documentation for athletic absences: competition schedules, registration proof, team verification, letters signed by coaches. Students would make advanced requests and maintain academic standards.
Every student balances academics with something, but only some things count as legitimate reasons to miss school. The policy doesn’t need to excuse everything, but it should recognize that competing at nationals deserves the same consideration as playing a home game. Commitment is commitment, regardless of whose name or team is on the jersey.
