Owatonna Public School District allows ten excused illness days per school year, unfortunately, students have to use their “sick” days for when they are sick and not when they need a mental health day. The student handbook on the OHS website also says that a student has five excused personal days, whatever that means.
Junior Maya Miller said, “I think it would be a good idea for students to have mental health and sick days for school because mental health and physical health both matter in life.”
When discussing this issue with a friend, she mentioned how she has had absences for medical reasons, yet the school emailed her about truncy, but she has doctor notes for these absences, which makes them excused absences.
The mental health days would be used during the school year, and allow for the same number of mental health days as sick days during the school year. They would not transfer over to the next school year after summer break, because it would be the same rules that would apply for sick days.
This would be a good idea for schools to have because a lot of students need mental health days from school. School can be overwhelming and stressful if a student has an abundance of homework, and especially if they are in a sport or school clubs. Sometimes those run late in the afternoon and don’t get home until late, then they have to stay up late doing homework. Also, students can feel burned out from school with having to do a lot of homework or assignments. Some students might have a job, and if they do, they might have to work late at their job since they might have to work after school. Students would have to work, and then when they are done working, they would have to do their homework.
Junior Grace McGinn said, “ I have felt like falling asleep before in class and not wanting to be at school because of feeling overwhelmed with homework before, so I can relate to how students in our school may feel.”
Whether it be a sick day or a need for a mental health day, students should always be given the option to stay home to give their mental health time to recover and gain happiness back. So that way students don’t use their sick days for when they just need a day to recover.
