On Monday, Oct. 6, 267 seniors were absent, participating in a “Senior Skip Day” following homecoming weekend.

While school traditions are a vital part of the high school experience, this event, now in its second year, has significant and often overlooked financial consequences for our school. As a statistics teacher and member of the district’s budget advisory committee, I believe it’s crucial to understand how these actions affect our school’s resources.

Funding for the San Ramon Valley Unified School District (SRVUSD), like almost all districts in California, is not based on total enrollment but on average daily attendance. In short, the district does not receive state funding for any student who is absent, regardless of whether the absence is excused or unexcused.

The financial impact of a large-scale absence is substantial. The state currently provides our district with approximately $75 per student for each day of attendance. With 267 seniors absent on Oct. 6, the direct loss of state funding for that single day was approximately $20,025.

This is not an isolated incident. A similar event at this time last year resulted in a loss of more than $25,000. Combined, this two-year-old “tradition” has cost Cal High more than $45,000.

This amount is equivalent to half the salary of a new teacher, hundreds of new textbooks, or significant upgrades to classroom technology that would benefit all students.

I am not suggesting the elimination of cherished traditions. But we can and should be smarter about how we practice them.

The state finalizes its attendance counts for funding purposes after a second reporting period on April 15. A student’s absence after this final count, while still an absence on their academic record, no longer reduces the school’s state funding for that year.

It is left as an exercise for the students to determine which dates do not negatively impact Cal’s financial health.

I ask the senior class, and future classes, to consider the consequences of their collective actions. By making a strategic choice, you can preserve a senior tradition while also protecting the financial health of our school for current and future students.

Bob Allen is a statistics teacher at California High School.