Anonymous wrote:My HS has a fully closed lunch and probably 800 kids leave anyway and just show back up like nothing happened. Its infuriating that we don’t do anything about it. But its hard to stop when there are something like 45 exterior doors that are not allowed to be locked due to fire codes.

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Anonymous wrote:My HS has a fully closed lunch and probably 800 kids leave anyway and just show back up like nothing happened. Its infuriating that we don’t do anything about it. But its hard to stop when there are something like 45 exterior doors that are not allowed to be locked due to fire codes.

What has your admin team said about this problem? Have they advocated for more safety staff?

We have 9 security guards already.

Do you believe 9 security guards is enough to prevent the problem you're describing?

Its likely the largest allocation in the county

So you're not gonna answer the question?

Honestly my solution would be to lock 8 of the 10 public bathrooms at lunch and force all 2500 students to use two bathrooms so security can be stationed at heavily used exits instead of having to be bathroom monitors.

However that solution makes parents sad that their HS kids might have to hold their bladders for an hour.

Hiring more security would be great if you all want to pay more in taxes to add an additional 50-60 security personnel

So the number needed in your head is 50 security personnel? Without knowing your role or your expertise, I have no way of knowing why you're throwing that number out.

But here's what I do know: Our high schools have a massive footprint. Even with the 9 security staff you're talking about, it's not as if that's always what you get everyday. When security staff call out sick, there's no substitute for them like there is with teachers.

But you know what MCPS could do? The BOE or Taylor could direct Chief Safety Officer Marcus Jones to review the problem and come up with a revised per school security staff allocation that would meet the goal of preventing students from leaving the school building when they aren't supposed to.

Why do you think that hasn't happened yet?

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:My HS has a fully closed lunch and probably 800 kids leave anyway and just show back up like nothing happened. Its infuriating that we don’t do anything about it. But its hard to stop when there are something like 45 exterior doors that are not allowed to be locked due to fire codes.

What has your admin team said about this problem? Have they advocated for more safety staff?

We have 9 security guards already.

Do you believe 9 security guards is enough to prevent the problem you're describing?

Its likely the largest allocation in the county

So you're not gonna answer the question?

Honestly my solution would be to lock 8 of the 10 public bathrooms at lunch and force all 2500 students to use two bathrooms so security can be stationed at heavily used exits instead of having to be bathroom monitors.

However that solution makes parents sad that their HS kids might have to hold their bladders for an hour.

Hiring more security would be great if you all want to pay more in taxes to add an additional 50-60 security personnel

So the number needed in your head is 50 security personnel? Without knowing your role or your expertise, I have no way of knowing why you're throwing that number out.

But here's what I do know: Our high schools have a massive footprint. Even with the 9 security staff you're talking about, it's not as if that's always what you get everyday. When security staff call out sick, there's no substitute for them like there is with teachers.

But you know what MCPS could do? The BOE or Taylor could direct Chief Safety Officer Marcus Jones to review the problem and come up with a revised per school security staff allocation that would meet the goal of preventing students from leaving the school building when they aren't supposed to.

Why do you think that hasn't happened yet?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Former Whitman grad from early 2000’s. Kids from W have been doing drugs since as long as I can remember. We used to access it from friend’s parents (hidden in their closets) and bring to school, during open lunches, parties, etc. In hindsight, the school did what they could to educate and prevent, but when kids can party at home or parents don’t bother to discipline when it goes missing, then it really is on the parents for not parenting. Too much money and power means kids think they are invincible.

You’re letting the school and school system off the hook way too easily.

You say they educated and tried to prevent, but I don’t see where they tried to disrupt the behavior or intervene once they are aware of it.

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Anonymous wrote:My HS has a fully closed lunch and probably 800 kids leave anyway and just show back up like nothing happened. Its infuriating that we don’t do anything about it. But its hard to stop when there are something like 45 exterior doors that are not allowed to be locked due to fire codes.

What has your admin team said about this problem? Have they advocated for more safety staff?

We have 9 security guards already.

Do you believe 9 security guards is enough to prevent the problem you're describing?

Its likely the largest allocation in the county

So you're not gonna answer the question?

Honestly my solution would be to lock 8 of the 10 public bathrooms at lunch and force all 2500 students to use two bathrooms so security can be stationed at heavily used exits instead of having to be bathroom monitors.

However that solution makes parents sad that their HS kids might have to hold their bladders for an hour.

Hiring more security would be great if you all want to pay more in taxes to add an additional 50-60 security personnel

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My HS has a fully closed lunch and probably 800 kids leave anyway and just show back up like nothing happened. Its infuriating that we don’t do anything about it. But its hard to stop when there are something like 45 exterior doors that are not allowed to be locked due to fire codes.

What has your admin team said about this problem? Have they advocated for more safety staff?

We have 9 security guards already.

Do you believe 9 security guards is enough to prevent the problem you're describing?

Its likely the largest allocation in the county

So you're not gonna answer the question?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My HS has a fully closed lunch and probably 800 kids leave anyway and just show back up like nothing happened. Its infuriating that we don’t do anything about it. But its hard to stop when there are something like 45 exterior doors that are not allowed to be locked due to fire codes.

What has your admin team said about this problem? Have they advocated for more safety staff?

We have 9 security guards already.

Do you believe 9 security guards is enough to prevent the problem you're describing?

Its likely the largest allocation in the county

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My HS has a fully closed lunch and probably 800 kids leave anyway and just show back up like nothing happened. Its infuriating that we don’t do anything about it. But its hard to stop when there are something like 45 exterior doors that are not allowed to be locked due to fire codes.

What has your admin team said about this problem? Have they advocated for more safety staff?

We have 9 security guards already.

Do you believe 9 security guards is enough to prevent the problem you're describing?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My HS has a fully closed lunch and probably 800 kids leave anyway and just show back up like nothing happened. Its infuriating that we don’t do anything about it. But its hard to stop when there are something like 45 exterior doors that are not allowed to be locked due to fire codes.

What has your admin team said about this problem? Have they advocated for more safety staff?

We have 9 security guards already.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My HS has a fully closed lunch and probably 800 kids leave anyway and just show back up like nothing happened. Its infuriating that we don’t do anything about it. But its hard to stop when there are something like 45 exterior doors that are not allowed to be locked due to fire codes.

What has your admin team said about this problem? Have they advocated for more safety staff?

Anonymous wrote:My HS has a fully closed lunch and probably 800 kids leave anyway and just show back up like nothing happened. Its infuriating that we don’t do anything about it. But its hard to stop when there are something like 45 exterior doors that are not allowed to be locked due to fire codes.

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Anonymous wrote:https://bethesdamagazine.com/2026/01/30/whitman-students-trespassing/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=nextdoor.com&utm_campaign=nextdoor_news

If the kids were leaving the school during lunch, the school clearly failed in its responsibility to ensure kids remain in the building during school hours.

I mean, plenty of schools have open lunch. Have you never heard of this?

Per the article, open lunch is only allowed for seniors. It does not appear that all 11 of these kids were seniors.

And if the school's policy is that only seniors are allowed to leave campus for open lunch, there has to be some mechanism for enforcement of that rule by the school.

Current parent here, it’s my understanding that no Seniors were involved on 1/23. Mostly Sophmores.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://bethesdamagazine.com/2026/01/30/whitman-students-trespassing/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=nextdoor.com&utm_campaign=nextdoor_news

If the kids were leaving the school during lunch, the school clearly failed in its responsibility to ensure kids remain in the building during school hours.

I mean, plenty of schools have open lunch. Have you never heard of this?

Per the article, open lunch is only allowed for seniors. It does not appear that all 11 of these kids were seniors.

And if the school's policy is that only seniors are allowed to leave campus for open lunch, there has to be some mechanism for enforcement of that rule by the school.

Anonymous wrote:Former Whitman grad from early 2000’s. Kids from W have been doing drugs since as long as I can remember. We used to access it from friend’s parents (hidden in their closets) and bring to school, during open lunches, parties, etc. In hindsight, the school did what they could to educate and prevent, but when kids can party at home or parents don’t bother to discipline when it goes missing, then it really is on the parents for not parenting. Too much money and power means kids think they are invincible.