There’s no doubt the Des Moines’ school system’s “six strikes, you’re out of school” policy has cut deeply into its dropout rate.

Under the Des Moines school district’s attendance policy, after six absences in one semester, the student is kicked out of school. While this may seem rather harsh, the attendance rule is working. Only 265 students quit Des Moines area schools lazy year, as opposed to 902 in ten years before. That’s a sharp reduction from 10.5 to 3.5 percent.

The Des Moines Register has cited examples of students whose academic careers have turned around for the better because of the policy that basically forced them to quit taking those little unneeded “vacations.”

This is obviously a very good thing. Keeping students in school means that our children will be educated, and will eventually become educated adults and educated leaders of our communities, state and nation. So Des Moines schools should be congratulated for curbing a disturbing trend in Des Moines.

However, there is one small snare in the attendance policy. It provides for no exceptions. Any reason for missing school is considered one of a student’s six strikes. This includes out-and-out skipping school, illness or family vacations.

And while most of these reasons are invalid (who hated the kid in school whose parents took him out of school for two weeks to go to Disneyland?), perhaps there should be some leniency to prevent anyone from being unfairly punished for missing school. Strict all-or-nothing policies are almost never beneficial to anyone.