Ammu Lanka

Right before the doors open, students gather around the west entrance, in 39 degrees. Since students came back in-person after COVID-19, this practice has been in place–this year it has been much stricter.

Although Lafayette does not officially open its doors until 8 a.m., some students wait outside prior to that. The practice of keeping doors locked until 8 a.m. has been in place since students came back in-person after COVID-19 measures.

“Administrators felt like it [would be] a good practice. Now, we’re doing a better job, being more consistent to make sure all the entrances are going to open at 8 a.m.,” Assistant Principal Tim Jones said.

Prior to COVID-19 lockdowns, students were allowed to enter the building before 8 a.m.

“In the past, the building was open earlier because there was supervision available. As we evaluate our safety practices and procedures, we continue to improve, just like our pick up and drop off looks different [than before],” Principal Karen Calcaterra said.

Jones says the practice ultimately boils down to being understaffed.

“Staffing is just not available. If a parent or another [vendor] comes, we have to have a staff member with them at all times. But the district is not going to put somebody up here like a guard to watch the building, it’s more of a financial burden. The resources aren’t there to do that,” Jones said.

Student safety was another concern.

“We wanted to tighten up security and provide a safer campus,” Calcaterra said. “And that would not include us just unlocking the doors and having people come in without supervision.”

Although the practice is used as a safety measure, some students have issue with the rule.

“I wish they would open earlier because there’re things I want to do, and I don’t like just sitting there waiting for the doors to open, especially in the winter. It’s cold,” junior Avani Joshi said.

During swim season, Joshi has to come in early for practice.

“There’re certain times when I just have to be here early for swim. Then I have to leave school to get changed and come back, but the school is closed, Joshi said.

For some students, transportation issues affect when they arrive at school.

“When my parents have to go somewhere quickly in the morning, like a job site or to the airport, I have to wait outside,” freshman Noah Bairu said.

Sometimes, Bairu has to wait outside for 35 minutes before the doors open.

“It would be nice if I could come in a little earlier, especially now that the morning temperatures can be below freezing,” he said.

Typically, the adults who supervise the building are administrators and hall monitors. Therefore, Jones says, before 8 a.m., there are not enough people to supervise the entire building if students were to come in much earlier before school started. 

“It’s an unsafe environment when you don’t have as many adults in place. It’s a big building, [we] can’t cover it with just skeletal proof. [We] have to have everybody in place to make sure [we’re] preventing problems,” Jones said.

The rule preventing students from sitting in their cars in the morning is written on parking permits. Although the rule isn’t new, Jones says Lafayette being short-staffed has made it difficult to enforce.

“We can’t supervise the parking lot, we’re inside the building. There are staff out there working traffic, but they’re not working on checking and making sure kids aren’t doing inappropriate things, which we’ve had in the past,” Jones said.

Although Library Media Specialist Jane Lingafelter says there weren’t many students who would come to the Library when the building opened earlier, she says having before school time would be beneficial for students.

“If a teacher is here early, they’re here to get some work done. Students might sit in the Commons and do some work,” Lingafelter said.