Problems at BHS: How Can We Fix Them?

As far as the school goes, we can admit that it isn’t perfect. Things can always be improved and our school is no different. Students at our school seem to agree, citing issues of safety, inclusivity and general inconveniences.

When asked, a common concern among students was definitely safety. “We need metal detectors, so we’re not bringing guns and vapes into the school,” junior, Miles Palmer said. With gun violence and drug use at a high for teens, it is understandable that some would have this suggestion.

This sounds good on paper, but recent evidence has challenged the effectiveness of metal detectors in a school environment. Not only are the devices expensive, but so is hiring the appropriate staff to screen with the machines. Even with a trained professional, these devices have been shown to be ineffective:

“As recently as 2017, some airports had fail rates as high as 95 percent on screening checks for weapons,” said Jaclyn Schildkraut and Kathryn Grogan of the WestEd Justice and Prevention Research Center.

A better alternative may be to create more opportunities for students to get mental health support. Mentally healthier students are less likely to turn to drugs and weapons.

Other concerns of safety were brought up regarding the crosswalks around the school building. “I walk that way and kids walk through when there’s cars coming, and they make the cars stop. [The pedestrians] keep going. One person almost got hit. I know that’s a problem,” freshman Drew Bergman said. An extra traffic guard could remedy this issue, but students should be more cautious regardless.

Students also criticized certain inconveniences in the school. One problem was “Poor Scheduling. Teachers are bad at telling you ahead of time what’s gonna happen” from Freshman, Sam Dains. Students should be sure to check Schoology and Remind often, but this problem ultimately depends on the teacher.

Another problem was “not being able to use the bathroom when I want to” from junior Logan Bray. With some students travelling back and forth throughout the school on a daily basis, having time to use the bathroom is a challenge.

Some teachers only add to the frustration by giving students extremely limited bathroom passes or not letting them go to the bathroom during class at all. Teachers should be more understanding of the tight schedules many students have and be more flexible with bathroom breaks.

Concerns were also brought up with the school’s inclusivity.

“There’s blatant racism, transphobia and homophobia” sophomore Chloe Brissey said. Thankfully, the school seems to be taking a look at these reported issues as evident by the creation of the Equality Alliance club. Schools in our region still have a way to go regarding the treatment of the LGBTQ+ community.

Many of these of these issues have a simple fix but others will take many years to overcome. Hopefully teachers and administration will listen to the concerns of the students and spark change in the school. As a student, it doesn’t hurt to bring these concerns up. It’s the only way these problems can be fixed.