Two thousand six-hundred.
This is the approximate number of lockers in Barnstable High School assigned to the enrolled 1,800 students. However, a minority of the student body actually uses their locker.
Housemaster Steve Kaser said that there has been a declining population of students at Barnstable High School, and with that there has been decreased locker usage. Kaser is in charge of assigning lockers and said he tries to assign the eighth graders their lockers first in the 2100’s, 2200’s, and 2600’s because that’s where many of their classes are located. From there he assigns lockers to the freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior classes based on proximity to their advisory.
“I try to maximize lockers that are centrally located around the school,” said Kaser.
There still is the complaint from some students that the location of their assigned locker is not beneficial to where their classrooms are located.
“I think they’re inconvenient and not near my classes. Since we only have TGA twice a week, and my locker is near mine. I don’t really go near it,” said senior Delia Teague.
This means that some students have to find other ways to manage their materials and be creative deciding where to put them for safekeeping. Whether it is downsizing from multiple binders to one single binder or sharing lockers, students seem to make it work.
Senior Morgan Carter said she leaves her binders, books, and class materials in House D when they are not being used. She does an internship in House D and finds it easiest since most of her classes are in that hallway anyways.
Less fortunate students find other ways to make ends meet. A junior girl said she and her friend leave water bottles in lockers at the beginning of the school year. Within two to three days if the water bottles had not been moved or books had not yet been placed in the lockers they would take them over and use as their own. Although students are not allowed to take lockers from other people, housemaster Hope Taylor said that lockers are one of the minor issues that come to her, but if a student does have a complaint that their locker is being used by someone else a sign is put up to notify that person to get their belongings out.
Other students, like junior Caroline Badot ditch the locker system as a whole. Instead, she carries a single notebook and many folders that contain her work. Teachers often require binders, but she said that she does not use them, and that a single notebook is most convenient for her.
Some students find ways to put their locker, as well as their friends to use. Junior Olivia Monteiro said her original locker location is an inconvenience due to it being in the 1700’s, but she shares multiple lockers with her friends. Because Monteiro shares a locker she said she arrives to class on time without getting yelled at.
Taylor recommended that it’s best if students stick to using their own locker. She said if two students were to be sharing lockers and one left something that should not be in the school in their friend’s locker, their friend would get the blame. Housemasters are willing to work out a new locker assignment if need be. This is not to say they enjoy doing so, said Taylor, but it can be done.
Cleanliness is another complaint brought up by students with the lockers. Taylor said they get cleaned as best as they can at the end of the school year, otherwise they are students responsibilities.
Senior Nick Bulman said “There’s a Band-Aid in it. It’s been there for three years and every year I come back wondering if its gone. Nope it’s still there.”