Citizens weigh in on LHS policy

By LPR Staff
Editor/POST-REGISTER

Fewer than 100 students, parents and community members attended a public meeting on Monday night to discuss whether Lockhart High School should impose a “closed campus” lunch policy during the 2006-2007 school year.
In the past, LHS has moved from a completely open campus to restricting off-campus privileges to seniors a

nd selected juniors only. Last month, the LISD Board of Trustees was asked to consider either opening or closing the campus completely.
“We spend more than 20 man-hours each week trying to enforce the current rules and dealing with the students who leave when they aren”t supposed to,” said LHS principal Larry Ramirez. “Honestly, either way would be fine with me, but it needs to be either open or closed, so we can use that time for other reasons.”
Students also complained about the time spent trying to enforce a partially-closed campus.
“We have to sit in line for five minutes or more while they check IDs,” said LHS junior Amanda Dodson. “When you only have 35 minutes to eat, that makes it really hard for us.”
Dodson, along with most of the citizens in attendance, supports opening the campus for all students.
Another of the 25 or so students that attended the meeting noted that the cafeteria lines moved too slowly to accommodate feeding the entire student body during the 35-minute lunch periods.
“If you can”t get right to the cafeteria at lunch, the lines get too long, and you maybe only have five minutes to eat,” she said. “If they close the campus and make all the students stay, that”s going to get even worse.”
One resident that lives near the high school asked that the campus be closed because he has, on occasion, had his property vandalized. He also said he has received reports from neighbors that students were eating lunch and smoking cigarettes on his patio.
However, most at the meeting agreed that the students that cause concerns for the community would leave campus regardless, and believe that it is unfair to punish all students for the misbehavior of a few.
Four school board members attended the public meeting. They assured the other attendees that when the issue comes before the board, their primary concern in deciding the issue will be the safety of the students.
No local restaurant owners attended to represent the business community.