Whether sleeping through an alarm, miscalculating traffic or getting caught in long bathroom lines, being late to class is a reality many students face.

  These occasional tardies — whether the result of carelessness or circumstance — can rack up quickly, eventually landing individuals in after-school detention.

  Although Granite Bay High policy states that after three tardies, detention is mandatory, some students with as many as 10 tardies face no repercussions. Other students with a far fewer number of tardies are issued multiple detentions.

  “I know a few people with tons of tardies who have never gotten detention,” senior Shea Smith said. “Last term, I was late to class five times, so I had to go to detention for an hour.”

  The consequences can stack up quickly for someone in Smith’s predicament.

  “If I get one more (tardy) I’ll have to go to another two detentions,” Smith said.

  According to GBHS tardy policy, three tardies will land you in after-school detention one time, six to eight will lead to two additional detentions, and after a student’s ninth tardy, the amount doubles to a total of six detentions.

  Taking into consideration the shorter passing periods and congested parking lot, some students say tardies should be assessed with more leniency.

  And issuing detention to some tardy individuals but not others raises questions as to why policies are being applied universally to the student body.

  “I don’t think (administration) should be stricter with their policies,” senior Eric Liu said. “They need more consistency — whether that means decreasing the (number) of students who have to serve detention or not.”

  Those with more than 10 tardies who have yet to serve detentions frustrate those who regularly spend time after school in AP Government teacher Jarrod Westberg’s room for detention.

  “I know a ton of people who have way more tardies than me, and the school does nothing,” senior Sam Feinberg said. “It’s like they pick and choose who gets detentions or something.”

  The biggest complaint across the board appears to be the apparent lack of equity regarding detentions given.

  “I think I had six tardies for the school year, so I got one detention, then a week later I was tardy and got two more,” Feinberg said. “Others in my classes who are late consistently haven’t gotten any yet.”

  Although individuals are not randomly chosen for detention as some student assume, the reality of regulating attendance for over 2,000 students is that some tardies inevitable end up being unaccounted for.

  “Teachers send referrals for students, and the four of us (assistant principals) are in charge of making sure students who meet the threshold for detention are issued one,” assistant principal Jessup McGregor said. “We try our best to work on students who have the biggest issues first, but we can get backed up so some students may not have been sent to detention yet.”