Extracurricular activities are widely recognized as essential components of a well-rounded education, offering numerous benefits that extend beyond the classroom. These activities promote students’ physical health, mental well-being, social skills, and academic performance. Schools frequently encourage participation in extracurriculars, acknowledging
their positive impact, particularly during periods of heightened stress — especially common now as testing season occurs.

However, despite this recognition, certain school policies regarding student mobility after school hours may inadvertently undermine the very benefits these activities are intended to provide. For example, current procedures require students to obtain a ‘walker’s ID’ to leave campus by any means other than being picked up directly. While the process to obtain this ID is straightforward, the routes available for students to exit the campus are significantly restricted. Only two designated exits are accessible to students with a walker’s ID, and one of these is
unavailable to those who do not own a car. When questioned, administration has provided limited reasons for these restrictions.

Additionally, the prohibition of ride-sharing services such as
Uber further limits students’ transportation options. This
policy places an added burden on families, particularly those with
demanding schedules, by requiring parents to personally pick up their children, even for short distances. Such constraints may diminish the efficiency and accessibility of extracurricular participation.

Specific incidents have highlighted the practical challenges these policies create. For instance, students who followed all procedures and intended to walk to the Ives Estate Park—a location known for its accessibility and recreational opportunities—were required to take a much longer and less direct route. Attempts to use alternative exits resulted in misunderstandings with neighboring schools and further delays. Efforts to seek clarification from
school staff were hampered by the unavailability of administrators at critical moments.

At the very core lies an obvious question: should leaving school at dismissal to go do extracurricular activities really require great effort, restriction, and stress? These policies seem to be made to look out for the institution rather than the individuals it’s supposed to look out for. It’s time we rethink these rules and prioritize student wellbeing over institutional convenience.

I mean it’s not the best thing in the mornings to cross where Krop is, considering I have a scooter. There’s students waking and I don’t want to hit them.
– Chenaeya Moise

I have to walk from here to Timbuktu every morning along the dirt just to get to school. – Alexander Drew