Efforts underway to keep students in class, out of halls.

The beginning of the 2023-2024 school year has brought a lot of new changes for staff and students, one being the newly implemented hall pass policy. In recent years, South’s hall pass policy has been relaxed, something the current administration is attempting to change.

“Last year I was surprised with how much hallway traffic there was during classes and then really no accountability for where those kids were supposed to be,” said assistant principal Ricci Huling.

The reasons for the tightening of the hall pass policy are twofold, according to Huling. The first reason is the general importance and benefit of being in class.

“[A reason for me is] to really impress on students the importance of being in class. And I think that we’re trying to make that really clear across the board this year that the best place for them in terms of keeping up with classwork, gaining instruction, lowering their stress levels-even mental health really- is to be in class when they’re supposed to be in class.”

However, some students are saying that focusing during the newly elongated classes is a challenge and the need for breaks should be honored. “It’s too long for a highschoolers’ attention span,” said South sophomore Anna Cupo-Carleton. “90 minutes of complete focus and thought – yeah, it’s unrealistic,” 

Another sophomore, Maya Robershaw, said, “90 minutes is a lot and a lot of teachers don’t give breaks and a lot of students need breaks, and so I think they should be able to just go out in the hall and do that when they need it.”

The second reason for the hall passes Huling lists is safety. “There were some instances last year that I noticed where maybe a parent comes by to pick up a kid or someone needs a student for some reason and it took us a while to find them. So that accountability of knowing where kids are during the school day is important.”

This emphasis on student safety might have something to do with the bomb and shooter threats of last year.

IHS teacher Sheela Hadjivassiliou expressed that safety regulations have changed since last Spring.“I know that the doors are locked except for the main entrance … and there’s been more discussion around protocols.”

That being said, the stricter hall passes have caused problems for students with free periods. Sophomore Piper Hire said that she feels like while she isn’t in class during her free period, the school is still regulating what she does with her time.

“[Administration] said I should leave the school early on A-days, but then on Wednesdays I should stay in the library. It is a little inconvenient because sometimes I want to stay in the school and, like, do homework and stuff but then they ask if I have a free period and they’re like ‘don’t you wanna go home?’”

Students aren’t the only ones with confusion about free periods.“From what I understand, school is supposed to be a place that from whatever time it starts to the end of the day, like that is a safe place for students to be. So I don’t think I understand why students would need to leave during their free period or why we would encourage that,” said Hadjivassiliou.

Some South students have concerns about the struggles of focusing through 90 minute classes, explaining how breaks can be beneficial. At the same time, administration’s central reasoning for the hall passes has to do with keeping students in class and the general safety benefit of knowing where students are. As the year progresses, students and staff alike will better and better understand what benefits and challenges hall passes will bring to the school.

Article by Lexi Gregory