Following the shooting on Feb. 9, new security measures have been implemented, including the deployment of additional security guards, increased camera monitoring and stricter enforcement of identification checks for all.
On Feb. 19, an email alert was sent out announcing another measure the school was taking to ensure safety: students would transition to using lockers to store their bookbags and items during the day. Lockers were a staple of high schools for decades, but the previously essential part of student life has faded in popularity at this school. This year, only 350 students (20% of the student body) applied to use lockers, according to Principal Dr. Joseph Bostic
This system will be implemented slowly over the next two years. This year, the school only suggested that students use lockers; however, next year, there will be a full implementation of lockers for every student, and a class will take place to teach students how to use locks and lockers. Students will have a chance to voice their questions and concerns with the new change as a survey as well as a town hall meeting has been promised. “To help streamline your day and lighten your load, every student will be assigned a personal locker. We encourage you to make the most of this space to store your belongings, reducing the need to carry a heavy bookbag between classes and allowing for a more comfortable, focused school day,” Bostic said.
Robert Frost Middle School has been making its students use lockers for years, and the system has proven to have benefits. Each year, every student is assigned a locker, given a lock and spends a homeroom learning how to use the lock. The policy allows students to carry less around in their classes, making it easier for them to be organized and keeping the hallways clear. “I think lockers can be beneficial for our students when they have seven teachers and seven different classes during the course of the day, and sometimes they get materials for two or three classes, which helps them be more organized,“ Frost Principal Dr. Joey Jones said.
Students have concerns about the implementation of lockers. For starters, having to go to a locker in between classes makes it harder for students to get to classes on time, and if the transition time isn’t increased, students would lose time to socialize with friends in between classes. A big reason for the student disdain toward lockers is that now most schoolwork is on computer, and students have fewer items to carry around school, so it has become more convenient for students to carry all of their things in a backpack. “It will be inconvenient having to walk to a locker and then to my class every period. Additionally, I don’t think this will make school safer and won’t prevent someone from bringing a firearm to school,” junior Henry Jacobs said.
