The West Bend Current

A change at the West Bend High Schools is opening doors for students–literally.

Starting Nov. 10, the East main entrance became officially accessible for the entire day after the WBHS administration, along with the help of other teams, decided earlier in the year to increase student convenience. Previously only the West entrance could be used once the school day began.

The discussion of making the East entrance accessible to students all day has been ongoing between the administrative team and the Principal Advisory Committee.

Students involved with the PAC brought this idea to administration last year and again at the start of the current school year, with the intention of improving the student experience. With help from the PAC as well as the recent improvement seen in student behavior across the school, it was possible for the administrative team to make a supervision and coverage plan in order to staff the East doors all day.

“Our students’ continued reduction in safe and respectful referrals (especially during our lunch periods) has created the flexibility needed to shift supervision assignments, supporting this change,” assistant principal Jared Kiesow said on behalf of the administrative team. “So thank you to all of our students for their hard work to make this happen!”

While positive student behavior made the decision easier, this change is not an entirely simple one. While no financial costs were needed, the schedules of supervisory aides needed to be restructured in order to achieve full-day coverage at the East greeter’s desk overseeing the entrance.

So why make this change, if it required internal schedule restructuring to be constantly staffed? The administrative team sees it as a benefit to the student experience, as many leave throughout the day, specifically those with expanded release passes who leave daily.

“With this added coverage, the East entrance will now also serve as an exit for students who need to leave campus during the day for any approved reason, improving convenience while maintaining safety and security,” Kiesow said.

A member of the high school’s team of supervisory aides will monitor the East entrance during all periods at the greeter’s desk, which includes buzzing in visitors and checking student passes.

Tisha Cahoon will work the greeter’s desk from 11 a.m. to noon as one of the supervisory aides with assigned shifts at the entrance. For the rest of the day, she will continue her usual daily responsibilities in the school, such as supervising two lunch periods, monitoring hallways, checking exterior doors, directing students, taking calls from the office and distributing the mail during the day. Despite the addition to her plethora of duties as a supervisory aide, Cahoon sees this change as overwhelmingly beneficial for students as it makes entering and exiting the building much more convenient.

“I think long term this change will allow more students to utilize not only the East entrance but also the parking lot,” Cahoon said. “It will give students easy and convenient access to their destination.”

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Photos taken today by Chloe Bauer, Editor in Chief.