Open campus has been a big topic of conversation for Hollis Brookline High School (HBHS) students for a while now. An open campus would give students the opportunity to leave school during their off periods or lunch. Having the ability to leave on your own terms is a want that many students have, but are not able to.
“It’s a complicated issue,” said assistant principal Amanda Zeller. Although there are many ways that having an open campus would benefit students, there are also ways where it would negatively impact the school. “I believe there are both benefits and drawbacks,” said Zeller. Students would have an increased sense of independence and develop self-management skills, which you need for the world after high school.
“But we are still responsible for you since most of you aren’t adults, and we take that responsibility seriously,” added Zeller. Teachers and faculty members at HBHS try to make sure all students are safe while school is in session. Having an open campus wouldn’t always guarantee students’ safety if they are not on campus without teacher supervision.
However, an open campus could be beneficial for some students during lunchtime. “I would definitely benefit from having an open campus because if I don’t pack lunch, I would love to go get lunch at [Dunkin] or Buckley’s,” said senior Ava Porto ‘25.
For many students, school lunch isn’t something they like, and having the option to go somewhere else for lunch would benefit them. “It would boost the morale around the school,” added Porto. Having this option could help students gain a sense of independence by being able to go where they want during lunch.
Students leaving when they do not have options or permission to leave could also be a potential issue. “I have a concern it would impact non-options periods more than we think,” said Zeller. There are also some negative sides to having an open campus. Some students may try to take advantage of this rule by leaving without permission and possibly not returning to school. “I think people would just decide to leave during their lunch,” Porto said. “If people leave during lunch, they might not come back.”
Students who leave during open campus have a responsibility to leave and come back for class, which might cause some students to not go back to school because they might feel like they can decide what they want to do since they are already out of school. “There would definitely be some kids that would try to take advantage of it,” said senior Sophia Brickner ‘25.
Having an open campus has many positive benefits, but also some negative ones, which makes changing this rule a tough decision for administrators since their primary job is to keep students safe.
