-Caveat Lector- > Students criticize Nyack High safety rules > > By RANDI WEINER THE JOURNAL NEWS > (Original publication: June 21, 2001) > > Students at Nyack High School could be barred from walking > to their cars to retrieve forgotten books during school > hours and would have to wear identification tags around > their necks under security measures being debated by the > Board of Education. > > Neither of the measures, which were mentioned in two > proposed documents presented to the school board during its > meeting this week, was more than a suggestion, school > officials said. They were proposed simply to begin a > discussion, but could become school policy July 10 if they > face no serious objections. > > Students who had heard of the proposed rules have made a > formal protest to the school board, saying the proposals > would cause student unrest and rebellion. Adults who > supported both measures said they were concerned about > student safety. > > "My issue is always going to be safety," board member Pierre > Davis said. "Things have changed more than anyone wants to > own up or confess to. It's not business as usual anymore." > > The Nyack school board, along with all school boards across > the state, must create or review districtwide safety plans > and codes of conduct under a mandate from the state > Legislature. Last year, the Legislature passed Project SAVE, > which was designed to improve school safety, and insisted > all school districts have plans to address situations > ranging from weather-related emergencies to gang-inspired > uprisings. > > Boards of education have until early July to adopt their > codes and plans. > > On Tuesday, the Nyack board was presented with a 46-page > draft of a district safety plan and a 43-page draft code of > conduct. Among the biggest changes was to have students wear > badges around their neck identifying them as belonging in > the school, and to forbid younger high school students from > leaving the building once school starts, even for lunch. > > "This is a plan under consideration," said Bryan Burrell, > school board president. "If students are going to be > concerned about the proposed changes, the best time to make > objections is before they are implemented." > > Right now, Nyack High School has an open campus. Freshmen > and sophomores are permitted to leave school grounds at > lunchtime, juniors may walk off campus for lunch and periods > when they have no class, and seniors are permitted to leave > when they have no classes and to drive off campus during > lunchtime. > > Under the proposed rules, freshmen, sophomores and juniors > would be permitted to leave the building only to go to a > patio in back of the school, and only seniors who meet > academic eligibility would be permitted to leave campus at > lunchtime. > > If viewed strictly, the rules would prohibit younger > students from walking to the parking lot to get something > from their cars after the first school bell rang, said > Assistant Superintendent Mary Anne Evangelist. They would > not be allowed onto the nearby track or lower field where > many eat lunch now or play with Frisbees. > > "I think you may encounter a lot of resistance to that," > said Elijah Reichlin-Melnick, junior class president. > > "The back patio is a very small area," with barely any > sitting room, said Zoe Elfenbein, president of the Student > Council. "Some students use lunchtime to work off excess > energy. At least the upper field, that security could see > from the patio, should be open to students." > > Having everyone in school wear identification around their > necks also came in for student criticism. > > "Demeaning," Elfenbein said. > > "I think you will lose the students if you do it," > Reichlin-Melnick said. "We've come out to argue this. Most > of the students won't bother, they'll take a cynical > attitude. They don't see the administration as being caring > about them but as stomping on them. A prison is very safe, > but I don't think the inmates are very happy there." > > Ian Mandel, junior class vice president, said the district > "will find it very difficult to enforce." > > "If we are forced to wear name tags, there would be outrage > _ and what will you do when 700 students refuse to wear them > out of protest?" Mandel said. > > School board members said they hoped the students would > respect whatever school rules became district policy. > > The proposed rules also would prohibit students from wearing > hats in the school, which is now permitted. The concern was > that someone could hide a weapon within a hat, > administrators said. > > Jonathan Brown, a senior and the student representative on > the school board, said he particularly thought the hat rule > should not be part of the student dress code. He wears a hat > in many of his classes and in the school halls. > > "We do have to make a change. Ignoring (safety issues) would > be foolish," Brown said. "But certain things are a bit too > stringent." > > Why pick on hats? he asked. "You could conceal things in > your shoes, your pants." > > The district is accepting written, oral and e-mailed > comments on the proposed safety plan and code of conduct > until the July 10 board meeting. People interested in > commenting can get information from district spokeswoman > Gail Fleur at 353-7013. <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. 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