Soon after IPRs are given to students, blue and gold cards are given to students who meet the qualifications.

In order to receive a blue card, students must have no D’s or F’s, no more than one referral, no more than two tardies, no unexcused absences or truancies, and 90 percent attendance, whereas students must have all A’s and B’s, no referrals, no tardies, no unexcused absences or truancies, and 90 percent attendance to receive a gold card. Many benefits come to having a blue and gold cards including half or full price admission to all athletic events, the ability to leave school at 4 p.m., leave for lunch two to three minutes early, and going to the media center for lunch.

Many students appreciate the benefits the come with blue and gold cards.

Sophomore Gillian Frazier has received a gold card throughout the entire school year and describes some of the benefits.

“I think getting to leave five minutes early and getting into games and things for free are the biggest rewards,” Frazier stated.

Sophomore Sumaya Nour has a blue card and also stated that the biggest benefit is the ability to leave class early.

Assistant principal and athletic director Justin Browning shared a similar opinion to students.

“I think having the ability to leave class a little bit early is the biggest benefit. It gives students freedom,” Browning stated.

Senior Yarelly Laguna does not have a blue or gold card, but she also expressed that when she did have one, her favorite thing about them was having the ability to leave class early and get discounts on athletic events.

Laguna explained why she doesn’t have a blue or gold card. “I didn’t use it a lot when I had it. I am always forgetting to get it from my teacher and once you’re a senior, you don’t care as much anymore,” Laguna expressed.

Although there are benefits to having a blue or gold card and students appreciate them, there are also some things that students wish were different about the cards. One of these is that students need permission from their teacher to access these benefits, and some teachers will not allow students to leave school early at the end of the day, leave class early to go to lunch, or go to the media center during a study hall. All of these are things that blue and gold cards are supposed to grant students.

“I feel like students should get more benefits from blue and gold cards that would make students actually strive for them. Teachers sometimes don’t let students leave five minutes early so there is really no benefit from it,” Nour explained.

Frazier shared a similar opinion to Nour about teachers not allowing students to leave early.

“I wish teachers would respect it more sometimes and let you leave when you need to leave because sometimes teachers try to hold you back,” expressed Frazier.

Frazier also explained what some of the biggest differences are between blue and gold cards.

“I think gold cards are given first priority a lot of the time and blue cards kind of only get half of the benefits that gold cards get,” stated Frazier.

Nour’s opinion about the difference between blue and gold cards differed from Frazier’s. Nour stated that there isn’t a big difference between the two because you still have similar grades.

Nour also expressed that she thinks they should make it clear when you are going to receive the cards.

“They need to make it clear when you are getting it because you might have had a bad grade back then but now your grade is good but you still have to pay for it,” stated Nour.

Browning expressed that there should be more sponsors with blue and gold cards to give students more motivation.

“I would love for possibly the sponsorship of some of the companies to be updated. If we were able to get some bigger sponsors to some perks for kids with blue and gold cards, like if Sonic could give students a free small cone or something,” Browning said.

Browning also stated that blue and gold cards are one of many things available to help motivate students.

Blue and gold cards are given to students who maintain good attendance and good grades. They are designed to give students a reward and reason to strive for good grades and attendance. Some students think that the cards have great benefits, while other students think the benefits are not good enough or not worth it and want changes to be made.