STANWOOD – Many students spent their class hours Wednesday crowded around the flagpole at Stanwood High School instead of at their desks in protest of the district’s decision to close the campus while school is in session.
The new rule means that as of next fall, students will no longer be allowed to leave campus during lunch periods to nearby fast-food restaurants or other shops.
“It seems like everything is being put on us,” said junior Felicia Duran, 16, noting her class is the first to have to pass portions of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning to graduate.
Therefore, she reasoned, next year’s seniors deserve to be able to walk or drive off campus for lunch. Plus, that way “you don’t have to eat the not-very-good school food.”
Superintendent Jean Shumate said she made the decision to close the campus because of safety concerns.
Several surrounding high schools – including Arlington, Marysville-Pilchuck and Mount Vernon – follow similar policies, she noted.
“We are responsible for keeping our students as safe as possible from the time they arrive at school until their last class ends,” Shumate said in a prepared statement. “To do that, we must be able to monitor and control access to our campus and students.”
The school cafeteria can accommodate all students for lunches, Shumate said.
The school district also is inviting area restaurants to a meeting later this month to explore how the businesses might offer lunches on campus, so long as the meals are reasonably priced and meet the district’s nutritional standards.
Students who skipped classes were monitored by school security officers and administrators, but allowed to gather and voice their opinions, Duran said.
The district did not provide an estimate of how many students skipped classes. Students who participated in the protest likely will receive unexcused absences.
Reporter Melissa Slager: 425-339-3465 or mslager@heraldnet.com.
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