As students begin to fill the halls again, the issue of the student body size has resurfaced. With claustrophobic halls, the ever growing issue that is the student body has become an issue once again. 

Over the past four years, the student population has increased by close to 200 students per year. In the 2016-2017 school year the total student body size was 2,659 total, the next year it was 2,818, and after that it was 3,028. But as of writing this the current student population is 3,121. 

A key piece of this problem has been that the building does not have the room for the amount of students it is taking in. When the school first opened, the class size was 667 students, and had a total of 832 with staff. Also at that time the school only had a freshman and sophomore class for highschool (there was also a middle school portion that was not included). 

10 years ago the population total was 2455, a large increase, but that was a full school with a 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade class. 

Another 10 years later in the 19-20 school year we have a population that she building was not meant to handle. The main gym where assemblies are held only has capacity for 2,726, that leaves not only a total of 395 students out, but all of the staff of the school.

“I think it’s a safety hazard to have so many people” student Bela Bernal states “if there was a fire a lot of people wouldn’t make it out.”

Another problem some students have begun to come across is the size of their classes. 

Aoife Rael says “It seems like there are more students in classes, even some of my advanced math classes had some kids opt out after the beginning and there still aren’t enough seats.”

The increase has also added to the time it takes to get from class to class and getting to and leaving it. 

“It’s difficult for me to get to class on time with it taking 5 minutes to get down the stairs because of the traffic.” Bernal says “especially having so many freshmen who don’t know the unspoken passing period etiquette.”