11/4/2009 12:52:58 PM

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By Elliot Mann

Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN 

Tuxedo-clad principal Chuck Briscoe isn't trying to force a new dress code at Century High School.

	Look good, in the nick of time Century High School has launched two programs. One is a light-hearted way to remind students to dress presentably: Principal Chuck Briscoe is wearing a tuxedo every Tuesday. The other program, which some students say is heavy-handed, enforces 25-minute lunch detention each time a student is late for class. As a result, the number of tardies has fallen by almost 60 percent.

It's one of two new programs at the school that encourages students to be presentable and on time to class. Briscoe wears a tuxedo every Tuesday, as a light-hearted way of reminding students to dress appropriately.

The Century High staff has also launched an effort in punishing tardy students with 25 minutes of detention, served during lunch time.

Last year at this time, about 300 students received at least one tardy each week. Of those, 100 students were late multiple times. The school has about 1,600 students.

This year, that number has dropped to about 120 students, with 25 kids being late multiple times, according to statistics provided by administrative assistant Kurt Verdoorn.

"It's hard to learn if you're not there," Briscoe said.

If a student shows up late to a class, they are reported to the office. The next morning, staff member Candy Cochran hands a white slip to each tardy student, meaning they have to attend lunchtime detention. If they skip detention at lunch, Cochran visits them again later than day, to set up possible in-school suspension.

"We try to work on skills that can be transferred to real life," Briscoe said. "In real life, we believe it's important for people to show up on time."

While Tuesday tuxedo day has made kids laugh at times -- Briscoe wears the penguin suit for the entire day, regardless of his schedule -- few are smiling about the tardy initiative.

Cochran hears her share of complaints when she doles out the tardy tickets, especially from her own daughters, 12th-grader Angelina and 11th-grader Mallory.

The students said they are still late to their first class, which starts at 7:40 a.m.

"It's so dumb," said Mallory, 16.

Her sister Angelina called it a "waste of time."

Senior Erik Sperling said it's a decent policy for the other hours. He said he's been late five or six times this year. "It's fine for the rest of the day, but for first hour they should cut us some slack," Sperling said.

Even as her own daughters complain, Cochran said the tardy program is working.

"It is working, as much as the students don't like it," Cochran said. "We've run the reports, it's working."

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