Hollister
– Summer’s just begun, but parents of San Benito High School
students may already be considering investing in a sturdy backpack
or two.
Hollister – Summer’s just begun, but parents of San Benito High School students may already be considering investing in a sturdy backpack or two.
The SBHS Board of Trustees voted unanimously Wednesday to tear out all of the student lockers on the nearly 3,000-student campus – a move that officials hope will finally end the constant vandalism the lockers attract and save the school money in the process. Some students, however, disagree, saying that lockers are a useful convenience.
“Virtually every Monday you find lockers on campus that have been broken into or vandalized,” said Jim Koenig, director of finance and operations.
Koenig estimates that locker vandalism costs the district more than $20,000 every year in parts, labor and staff time. The approximately 2,500 lockers, which are not enclosed and are accessible to students all night and through the weekend, are “magnets” for graffiti, theft and have even been set on fire on a number of occasions, said Koenig. He said that if a student’s textbooks are stolen or damaged, he or she is responsible for paying the high school for the book.
“I’ve been to parent nights where the assistant principal has advised students against using lockers for their belongings because they are not considered secure,” said Koenig.
The sentiment was echoed by SBHS Principal Debbie Padilla, who consulted a handful of students about the idea.
“Most of the students we talked to said they don’t even use their lockers to store books if they use them at all,” she said.
Student Trustee Suzanne Grocha-O’Neill acknowledged the fact that lockers receive little use, but warned the Board that the student body will probably not be happy with the change.
“Even if they don’t use them, they will be upset to lose that convenience,” she said. “But my locker was broken into, and I had to have the combination changed and it took a week and half just to get it changed because the lockers were so backed up.”
Because of San Benito High School’s block schedule, high school officials believe the effect on students will be minimal. Students only take three classes a day, or four if they choose to take an extra period, and might not even be required to bring a book to every class. P.E. and a few elective courses have no textbook at all. Grocha-O’Neill also suggested allowing older students more frequent access to their cars during the day, where many juniors and seniors keep their books, might also help the transition.
Other students, however, are less enthused about their lockers being removed.
“I think that’s a really bad idea,” said incoming senior Berny San Ramon, who says she uses her locker frequently and has never had it vandalized. “Because if we have to carry our books around all day we’re more likely to lose them.”
The lockers will be removed over the course of the summer and will be gone in time for the beginning of the school year. Koenig did not have a firm estimate for the cost of removing the lockers, but was sure that it would be less than $10,000.
“It’s a sunk cost, because we already have the maintenance people out there all summer,” he said. “We just have to make this a priority item.”
One idea trustees are considering is re-distributing a portion of the lockers to teachers with space in their classrooms who request them. Teachers who advise clubs or want to have students store special projects could take them for student use and secure the lockers at the end of the school day. Other lockers will be sold as surplus property.
The vote does not affect Physical Education or athletic lockers, or special lockers for wood and metal shop or art and ceramics classes.
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected].
