A Message from Our Principal

March 10, 2026

WHS Families:

Spring has arrived, and we are excited to finish this semester strong. We still have a number of families who do not understand the attendance expectations at the high school level. In high school, students earn credits (at least 24) towards graduation. When they pass a class, they earn half a credit for that class per semester. It is not the same as elementary or middle school requirements. Another misunderstanding is attendance in school. As I shared before in the 3rd quarter letter:

We would also like to remind families about the importance of student attendance at school, which does affect our funding. Arizona state law requires students to be in school 90% of the days at the high school (per semester). That is equivalent to missing up to eight school days in a semester, and it doesn’t matter if the absence is excused or unexcused. If your student does have to miss school, please be sure to call our attendance office at 520-384-8601. If no one answers, please leave a message.

When a student is absent from school, they are missing direct instruction, and when they miss that instruction, that student will sometimes fall behind in class, get frustrated, and feel hopeless. If your student is absent, they are responsible for communicating with the teacher regarding their make-up work. Our teachers are always willing and able to provide additional support to all of our students, whether they miss instruction or not.

If a student misses more than 7 days per class, each semester, they may lose credit for that class (meaning they may have to attend summer school or make it up during the next semester). We have already notified families of students who may lose credit this semester, and we are only in March. Yes, although a student has a passing grade in the class, if they exceed the attendance requirements, the grade is voided and replaced with an “F” on their transcript.

We would like to continue to partner with families to find ways to encourage students to attend school (on time) on a regular basis. In the real world, if they are frequently absent from their job, their supervisors may take action to either reduce their hours or dismiss them altogether. If you have questions about the state law, please don’t hesitate to contact any of our administrative team members, and we will be happy to help.

Good luck to our graduating seniors. We look forward to celebrating their successes in May. Thank you for your continued support of our staff and students. We Are Willcox!

Sincerely,

Tammy Hall

Tammy Hall, Principal