By Briea Starks, Chandler Park Academy, Harper Woods, Michigan

If you were a senior in high school at the age of eighteen, do you think it is necessary to get permission to leave campus? It is said that at the age of eighteen, you are “grown.” If this is a true statement, it would be unnecessary for students to have permission from their parents to leave school during the day. Here at Chandler Park Academy, students, mostly seniors, believe we should be able to leave campus if we are eighteen or older. Administrators and staff here at CPA high believe safety is key and our parents should definitely be notified when we are leaving the campus.

Shanell Capers, a 12th grader at Chandler Park Academy has recently turned eighteen. She believes that students should be able to leave if they are eighteen years old. She said she would like to go to a school that did allow this, because she would have more freedom. “Students should be able to leave campus if they are eighteen, especially in cases of emergency.” Most seniors would probably agree with Shanell but most staff would not.

Dean of students, Mr. Nero had a whole different point of view. Of course, I would expect him to feel differently than a student. He says that students should not be missing school in the first place and it does not matter how old you are, your parent always has to come sign you out of the building. “The only appropriate times for any student to leave campus would be if the student has a doctor/dentist appointment or family emergency.” He made it clear that it is for our safety and that the school would do anything to make sure students are in good hands.

The main idea is that in order to keep students safe, they need the students’parents to sign them out of school. It does not matter how old they are or what grade they are in. Nowadays, a student would not understand why administrators and staff would make this a rule. Years from now, when they are adults with children, they will understand. We should be lucky we have people in our school that make sure we are safe at all times.