Spring-Ford High School is a very large school and, as such, requires that students carry hall passes with them whenever they need to leave the classroom to go somewhere else.

Hall passes are one of the most common issues that students have to deal with and teachers have to make sure that they are following the procedures. Teachers require that students have a hall pass with them at all times when they leave to go to the bathroom, go to the nurse, or go visit another teacher.

“In a school this big we need to document where students are,” 12th-Grade House Principal Seth Jones explained. “If we have a situation where we have to vacate campus, we need to know where every student is at every moment for that reason to maintain school safety.”

Student opinions on hall passes vary. Some feel it is necessary to make sure students are safe. Others disagree, arguing that they are mature enough to go without a pass to their destinations.

Teachers and administrators, however, insist students have passes when they leave classrooms.

“I think hall passes are necessary to keep an accountability of students,” History teacher Matt Kozeniewski said. “It also helps us as teachers ensure that students are using the bathroom or wherever else they need to go in a timely matter and not just wandering for 10-to-15 minutes. It adds that sense of accountability, and it also ensures that whenever someone is wandering at all someone else in the hallway such as another teacher can direct them back to where they need to be.

“Even in a safety scenario that hall pass is able to identify to a teacher where that student may be coming from or where they should be, and they can relay that to me or another teacher where that student is supposed to be.”

Some students aren’t fond of having to carry around the passes, though.

“I don’t want to use hall passes at school,” junior Nicole Ameur said. “I think it’s annoying and there should just be a sign out, because it’s very limited on the hall pass for each class.”

Others understand the need for these passes to be always present.

“I think the usage of hall passes is a positive thing so teachers can track who is in and out of the bathroom,” senior Nave’ Jacobs said.

The school district began use of an electronic hall pass program recently, namely in the Ninth-Grade Center last year. Officials may decide to continue the program for the 10-12 Building in the near future.