GLENDALE : Removal of Lockers Sought by Principal

Glendale High School students may find a campus without lockers when they return this fall.

Principal Jim Gibson is seeking permission from Glendale Unified School District officials and school board members to remove nearly all 3,000 lockers by Sept. 7--the first day of school. A proposal citing security and maintenance concerns was submitted Tuesday to Supt. Robert A. Sanchis.

“We’ve had several occasions in which we lost 150 lockers (because of vandalism), or the materials of students have been stolen or burned,” said Gibson, head of the more than 2,300-student campus. “This is happening when the school is not in session.”

If the plan is approved, Glendale High would be the first high school in the district to remove lockers. Toll Middle School got rid of its lockers a year ago because they crowded hallways.

Glendale High students have expressed mixed feelings about the measure. One of those is Celeste Jamison, a 17-year-old senior who has been using a locker since 10th grade.

“I don’t think it’s a great idea,” said Jamison, a member of the girls’ volleyball team. “It’s like I’d have to take a suitcase with me to class” to store books, sports clothes and kneepads.

The senior said she has not had any security problems with her locker. But she said she knows of students who have had vandals break into their lockers or set them on fire.

The 1-foot-by-3-foot, beige lockers are bolted on each of three floors in the school’s main building. Because they are not inside enclosed hallways, they are easily accessible to the public.

Based on maintenance reports, Gibson said he believes that it costs an average of $10,000 a year to repair lockers. The principal’s own survey found that only 28% of students use the lockers. If his proposal is approved, Gibson would suggest saving 25 lockers for use by special education or disabled students.

Sanchis could not be reached for comment Tuesday, although the superintendent expressed support for the idea last week.