The Palo Alto High School administration had previously decreed that students would receive an hour of Saturday School each time they cut a class, but now students can only be made to attend Saturday School after they have three unexcused absences because of concerns regarding the legality of the policy.

“Students only need to go to Saturday School after they are a truant, which is after three cuts,” said Assistant Principal Jerry Berkson.

This change comes in response to legal concerns raised by junior Sam Greene.

“I was under the impression that the [California State Education] code only permitted Saturday School for truants,” Greene said. The Education Code defines a truant as someone who has cut three or more classes.

Greene notified Assistant Principal Jerry Berkson of his concerns.

“I printed out [the relevant section of] the code,” Greene said. “Mr. Berskon said he was willing to look into it.”

Berkson was polite and open-minded, Greene said.

No students have attended Saturday School yet and the administration is in the process of notifying parents and students about policy changes, Berkson said.