I found the whole recommendation thing to be quite solid. While MC's is given multiple points that contributed to it he still choose to not attend school, thats entirely on him to blame. It is a solid foundation to start a character arc since self reflection is a major point in character development. The problem is just that we currently don't see anything of that since the Demo ends right there. You, Waifston, have it all in your head, how the trip to the Island plays out, how the old characters get re-introduced, how the MC developes and how all the new characters may have a future impact on the story. But we don't have that right now.
Also i don't dislike Elena for what she did since the only reason why we would expect her to be nice to us is that we know she will be a major romantic interrest for us. In the Demo the MC is just a Troublemaker and a student you spent time with and stress over but nothing comes from it, since the MC still decides to not come to school. Zacharey being the asshole that he is, is totally fine since for Elena she only has to endure him and immediatly forget him after he graduates because of the money for the school. The MC still gets in trouble with him and that rightfully upsets her since she fears for her school. Thats way better writing since those people exist and have to be endured for the time and then forgotten, a thing the MC can't now because he is to young and naive for that.
Elena also not voting for the MC is expected because why should she? The MC is only creating problems and can likely cause the school to lose funding and be closed. Elena is extremly idealistic about her job. Her and the principal reinforcing the point that the MC should take the situation and improve himself on a human level is something a role person would do towards a student.
