531 seniors were absent for at least part of the school day on May 26 of last year, and 491 seniors were absent on May 27 the year before that, according to statistics provided by senior staff secretary Lori Louie. The reason for these many absences is senior ditch day—a student-designed day when many seniors choose to skip classes, unsanctioned by the school.
According to Assistant Principal Jonathan Mach, MHS loses approximately $85 per day per student who is absent—meaning last year’s ditch day absences may have reduced school funding by up to $45,135.
“We get paid by student attendance; if the students came to school (for) one period, we get paid for the whole day, but when they’re out the whole day, we don’t get anything, so from that perspective, it’s not good,” Louie said.
Phone call and message volumes in the attendance office often double or triple on ditch day, Louie said.
“It causes a lot of havoc here at school,” Louie said.
Although students may receive a cut for an unexcused absence on ditch day, cuts typically only affect students if they’re frequent cutters, as it takes six separate days of cuts for a student to receive detention, Louie said. Some parents also excuse their students’ absences, Louie said.
“I don’t condone parents lying for their students,” Louie said. “A lot of parents will call in and say, ‘Oh, they’re sick.’ If you’re letting your child do ditch day, just say it.”
Senior Zubia Adeen Mohammed, whose pronouns are they and them, is the administrator of this year’s senior ditch day Instagram account, Mohammed said. They took the initiative to plan ditch day to ensure that the tradition continues, especially since other traditions like certain school dances died out after the pandemic, they said.
“I was like, ‘This is literally one of my favorite traditions of the year, so I’m totally gonna get involved,’” Mohammed said. “I love the traditions that we do before graduation—all of it.”
Mohammed decided on the designated ditch day at the end of May because there were scheduling conflicts with school events on other potential dates, they said. Mohammed will be participating in ditch day and hopes to do something outdoors, they added.
“I feel like our administration and our teachers have enough heart to let it slip for one day,” Mohammed said. “I mean, it’s the day. You’re supposed to leave a legacy on campus or do something on campus, and this is the thing.”
Mohammed understands the concern of funding loss on ditch day, but believes it’s not as significant as funding lost due to longer-term absenteeism, they said.
“One day of people missing is not as much (funding lost) as when individuals are regularly missing school; that’s a bit more important,” Mohammed said.
Social studies and AVID teacher Frank Castro, who has taught for 29 years, regards senior ditch day as “inevitable” and “a rite of passage,” he said. He recommends that seniors be careful and stay safe on ditch day, he added.
“Personally, I’m not condoning it,” Castro said. “I just accept it, because it’s going to happen one way or the other. So like I said, I’m not going to fight (…) a tidal wave.”
Around 90% of Castro’s students are absent on ditch day, Castro said. He typically finds out about the ditch day date beforehand and schedules classes so there isn’t a test on that day, he added.
“Most of the kids here, they work hard; they do what they’re supposed to do,” Castro said. “They take a day; I don’t have a problem with that.”
Louie, who has been an attendance secretary for 25 years, has noticed that fewer seniors have been participating in ditch day over time, she said.
“There’s so much pressure for your grades and school and college and stuff that I don’t think it’s as widely participated in,” Louie said. “There’s still a lot of participants, but surprisingly, there are more that stay” in school.
As a parent of former students, Louie disapproves of ditch day, she said. A former MHS student once suffered injury during a car crash while traveling for ditch day, so Louie recommends that participating seniors be careful, she said.
“If you participate in it, just be safe,” Louie said. “Be smart; be safe.”