All hallways beyond the library remain student-free until 7:20.

“Teachers need time to get ready for class,” assistant principal Mike Bennett said. “From a safety stand point, it’s easier to monitor students in one area.”

The teachers suggested the new time setting.

“They wanted quiet hallways conditioned to a learning environment,” principal Stewart Herrington said. “The new rule confines students that get here early and want to get here early to a certain part of the school.”

Only students with passes are allowed to go upstairs and into other hallways. Some teachers, like Algebra II teacher JoAnne Brown, issued permanent passes.

“It’s on the students to use the pass properly,” Brown said. “If I find out a student has abused the pass, I’ll take it away.”

by Ciara Johnson