Administrators and teachers have enforced a ‘green slip policy’ at Westside High School, which requires students to have a green permission slip signed by a staff member allowing them to be in the hallways. 

Dean Jennie Benning said the administration team has been working to ensure students in the hallways are not skipping their classes.

“I think we’re trying to do a better job as an administrative team to enforce [the policy] and make sure students in the hallways have a destination as opposed to skipping class,” Benning said. 

At random times throughout the day, administrators now take ‘sweeping’ processes to provide consequences for students wandering the halls without a green slip. If swept, students will first receive a warning, then a detention if they are continuously seen wandering the halls.

There have been any sweeps where various students have been given warnings or detentions for wandering in the hallways during class time.  

“[Administration] recognizes that we have many students in the hallways for no purpose,” Benning said. “That is where our focus is, but we understand that there are students in the hallways going to class or a teacher or just going home.” 

Administration notified teachers of the implementation before students. French instructor Anne Johnson said that hallway conditions have been improved. 

“I notice fewer kids without passes in the hallways, so there’s less disruption,” Johnson said. “There are fewer issues with not knowing where to find [students] and [students] not being where they are supposed to be.”

The abrupt change in policy surprised many students, including junior Adam Sweeney.

“I feel like [green slip policy] was a quick change,” Sweeney said. “Teachers immediately started being strict about passes and leaving class.”

The administration will continue implementing the green slip policy throughout the second semester to prevent hall wandering. 

“[The passes] can come across as a negative [policy], but in reality, it’s just to remind students that we need to be here in class and not in the hallways,” Benning said.