Boston High Schools Try Locking Out Chronically Tardy

By Jessica Portner

Twelve Boston public high schools are testing get-tough policies to prompt student punctuality: They simply lock habitually late students out of school.

The practice, which has come in for criticism of late from some law-enforcement officials who worry about leaving unsupervised students on the streets, is now undergoing district review. Proponents, meanwhile, say that the need for uninterrupted classroom time makes the tactic imperative.

Each of the 12 high schools has its own tardiness policy, with most allowing lesser penalties, such as calling a...