The Coronado Unified School District is considering allowing freshmen to leave campus during lunchtime beginning next year.
On June 18, the governing board will vote on changes to its open-campus policy, which was last adopted and reviewed in 2018, and currently permits sophomores, juniors and seniors at Coronado High School to leave campus during lunch.
Coronado High principal Karin Mellina, along with two freshmen students, addressed the board about policy revisions at a board meeting last month.
“In reality, many 9th graders are already leaving campus during lunchtime, and we lack the staff to monitor all six exits effectively and implement this board policy successfully,” school administrators said about the current policy in a letter Mellina presented to the board. “This situation undermines our authority as administrators, and we strongly recommend revising district policy to permit 9th graders with off-campus lunch privileges similar to 10-12 grade students.”
According to Mellina, less than two dozen students abide by the policy.
“One of the things that I would like to propose to put into place for ninth graders, … and we can easily track it, is if freshmen have three tardies for third period, which is after lunch, they will lose their privilege of going off campus,” she told the board on May 22.
Trustee Scot Youngblood said the current policy helps build camaraderie among the freshmen class by having students stay on campus, noting it includes interdistrict transfers among others new to Coronado and the school district.
Trustee Malachy Sandie suggested closing the campus so that everyone stays at the school for lunch, pulling from his own high school experience.
“It was a closed campus, and I thought the camaraderie and esprit de corps was incredible,” he said. “In fact, it was so good that kids from other high schools at lunchtime would come over to our school to have lunch. … Just throwing that out as an idea.”
Mellina said students are also building community through participation in the more than 70 clubs on campus during lunchtime. She also said school broadcasts and newsletters address topics like bike safety, issues that may present themselves during students’ time off campus.
“Aligning district policy with the reality of lunchtime departures is critical to ensuring lunchtime rules are practical, implemented consistently, and respected by all,” the letter closes.
Additional information about student expectations, legal liability for students while they are off campus, and parent notification will be shared at the meeting on June 18.
The prospective policy, which was read at the June 5 meeting, was revised from the original version to say that the open campus privilege can be revoked for disciplinary and attendance reasons.
The next regular board meeting is set for 4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 18 at the district office.
