By Mary O’KEEFE

At Tuesday’s Glendale Unified School District board meeting the discussion of the open lunch campus policy at Crescenta Valley High School was an agenda item.

The discussion was an update on the issue that had been approached last year by the district. The thought at the time was to change the policy from an open to a closed campus lunch due to the district’s concern over suspensions and unexplained/unexcused tardies immediately following lunch.

Last year the suggestion was met with resistance from several parents, community members, organizations and students. The concerns ranged from how the almost 3,000 students would eat on the campus given its lack of lunch seating areas and food courts to the reason behind the closure.

Student groups and parents met with the district and it was found that the policy the school had in place was not being followed.

“Over the course of the year we held forums with really hundreds of community members,” said Deputy Superintendent John Garcia.

Those discussions led to the decision to change from an opt-out to an opt-in procedure of leaving campus. Whereas before students were to have their parents sign a form if they were to stay on campus, that practice has now been changed to parents giving written permission for their student to leave campus during lunch.

The forms are in the CVHS office for students to take home and have signed by their parent or guardian. Students must have those forms signed if they want to leave campus.

Garcia said there has been some decrease in both tardies and suspensions. The district is continuing to monitor the situation.

  Mary Okeefe