As most of us know, the Class of 2022 finishes school on May 18 while the rest of the classes must remain in school until June 2. Seniors getting out early is like their reward for all the hard work students have put in.

For all those long hours and time students put in at the end they are rewarded with more than just a diploma. CBS Boston writer Ken Tucci reported, “According to the State Department of Education, it is legal for schools to release seniors 12 days before the regularly scheduled end of the school year.” High school seniors’ last day doesn’t change if snow day make-ups are needed because their final day is scheduled based on the regularly scheduled last day of school— another added perk of being a senior.

While seniors getting out of school early has been a tradition for quite some time now, not a lot of people really seem to know why we do it

“Because we conduct graduation prior to the end of the school year, it is necessary to have our seniors complete their requirements early,” Principal Mike Bakker said. “It takes time to complete grading and go through all the checks and balances to make sure that our students have time to get through all the practices for graduation.” Students only get out early because of the time of graduation. Although it doesn’t look like this will be changing in the future, students should never say never.

When there are classes with multiple grade levels, what happens when the seniors leave and the underclassmen still have to report to these classes for the rest of the year? MLive writer Matt Bunte reported, “The exam taken last week by seniors was less comprehensive than the ones juniors will take later.” In most cases, the underclassmen end up taking the exam at the same time as the senior, which means the exams are the exact same for all individuals in the class. When the schedule for the year is handed out, teachers prepare their lessons accordingly so all the information needed in this subject is learned by all students in the class.

An early release for seniors is a good idea— they are already burnt out enough. It’s time for a reward.