CLOSED CAMPUS?

Havre Public School District administrators are considering whether or not to prohibit some students at the high school to leave campus for lunch.

The administrators had a meeting at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday to discuss the possibility of closing the campus for freshmen in the 2015-2016 school year. Some of the issues on the agenda were the problems with tardiness after the lunch break and fights and drug problems.

The rate of fights has gone up 40 percent since 2010, and there have been 50 percent more drug issues since that year as well.

Around 20 to 25 percent of the high school's tardies have been in during the fifth-period class - the one directly after lunch - since 2010.

If the changes are made, the schedules may also be changed. The possibility of lengthening the passing-time between periods, keeping a common lunch period but shortening the length of it and excusing upperclassmen to lunch before freshmen were all items to be discussed at the administrators' meeting, which was moderated by the Havre Area Chamber of Commerce.

Lainee VanVoast, a freshman at Havre High School who was patronizing Rod's Drive-In Wednesday, said that she thinks the change would be a good idea to improve the school, especially in the lower-level classes.

"This year, there are a lot of tardies," VanVoast said, adding that changing the rules so that specifically freshmen would not be able to leave the campus for lunch would combat the delinquency. "I just don't think they're responsible enough."

VanVoast said that the change would bear down on car crashes that happen during the lunch hour at the high school, from 11:50 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Luke Karnauskas disagreed. He said he has no vehicle, but he can walk to Rod's or meet with family for lunch under the current rules and would not want them to change.

One of the problem with the school lunches is the amount of food provided.

"It's not a good amount," he said, adding that by being able to leave the campus, he can make sure he gets enough to eat. "You get five chicken nuggets and you're not full."

He said that on "Taco Tuesdays," his mother will pick him up and take him to another restaurant. He also likes to visit with others.

"It's a way to sit down with friends," Karnauskas said.

The next steps the high school will be taking are monitoring students leaving the campus and analyzing the number of students the cafeteria can serve and hold.