A new school year always brings new rules during every school and there are a few new regulations at Akins that are garnering their share of praise and complaints.

When new rules are implemented it can be difficult for students to understand the intent or the reasons why they were started, causing some students to rebel against regulations they don’t understand.

In some cases, it is the result of improved vigilance to keep the campus safe from gun violence like what has occurred in other parts of the state, including the tragedy in Uvalde where 21 students and two teachers died in May. In other cases, the new rules are aimed at increasing instructional time to keep students from walking the halls unnecessarily to avoid class work.

The rules that have received the most attention are the following: 1. Students are only allowed to use the restroom in the hall nearest to their classroom. 2. All classroom doors are locked to students during class time, and 3. students cannot open outside opening doors for fellow students.

Some students disagree with the regulations that are now in place, while others have taken a liking to them.

“I think most of them [the regulations] are well founded, but a few of them are kind of annoying,” senior Charles Issac said.

For example, students are not allowed to let other people into the building even if they are students. Students are required to enter through main entrances instead of side doors.

Some students don’t necessarily feel safer now that these rules and regulations are in place. Senior Caleb Stever said he agrees with the limiting who can open doors, but he doesn’t understand some of the new hallway rules. He said requiring students to use the restroom in their current hallway doesn’t make him feel safer.

“I think that’s more organized and it lets people know where you are at times, but I wouldn’t say that we would all feel safer,” he said.

New Tech Academy Coordinator Kyle Monk said the big reason for the new policies was to maximize instructional time.

“So if you’re in a classroom in upstairs green, you’re using the restroom that’s closest to upstairs green as opposed to going all the way around to New Tech, so that you’re able to be in class for as much time as possible, which is hopefully the goal of all,” he said.
This rule was also implemented for the safety of others.

“It also helps kind of protect you all as students,” Monk said. “If there is a drill and evacuation, anything that might happen. If you were in the closest restroom, you can get back to your original classroom quickly, as opposed to kind of trying to find a room to go into or having to run halfway across the school to get back to your original class.”