By Danielle Baez

The last two years at Passaic High School have been eventful. In 2016 multiple threats had been written on bathroom stalls and left behind on notebook paper. A threat was even written on an electrical cord in a classroom.

The previous bomb threats led to elevated security when students went to the bathroom. Students then needed to sign in and out, not only from their current class but outside the bathrooms as well.
At the time only 9 of the 16 bathrooms were open. Having seven closed made those that were open much busier and more time-consuming. After a protest walk out, two more bathrooms were opened.

Bathroom policies are also the same this year at PHS. Passaic High School regularly does security wanding some days in the morning. After a recent event in which a student brought a weapon to school, there was a wanding in which the student was caught. There have been cases where lockers were searched, as well as locks that do not belong to the school were cut off for security reasons.

Following the arrest of the student, there was a mandatory wanding and bag check for everyone who entered the school from then on. School started at the normal time, however, due to not having enough people wanding, a huge crowd outside the flagpole entrance began to form. Some students began to walk back home, some even getting in a passing taxi.

Although it may have been inconvenient to wait in the frigid temperature to get wanded it was for the safety of the staff and students. Those who were late to class due to the wanding were not penalized for being late and classes resumed as normal.

Students have conflicting opinions regarding this matter.  Various students feel that the security and new policies are “too much,” that there is no freedom whatsoever.

Other students wholeheartedly believe that the school is trying their best to ensure our safety leaving all these actions as their only option. Those students who feel this way appreciate our staff for caring about the students’ well-being and for collaborating with each other to promote and ensure the overall safety here at Passaic High School.