After thorough discussion with businesses, county council members, Montgomery County Public Schools safety/security and the local police department, Walter Johnson High School has implemented a new policy called “Pay and Go” to prevent further damage to nearby establishments students visit during lunch.
In the past year, there have been several incidents at Georgetown Square and the Wildwood Shopping Center.
“I’ve received numerous messages from members of the community, from Country council members and from the County executive’s office expressing concern regarding student behavior in that area during lunch hour,” Police officer Amy Daum said.
These incidents, which include students participating in illegal activities such as stealing from the stores or engaging in violent behaviors, are part of what has led to the implementation of this new lunch policy. While the school does not want to revoke this privilege from students given it had been working well for the time being, something had to be done about these recent disturbances to the community.
“It was not a sudden and rash decision, but it has become a necessary change that resulted from some of our students disrespecting and ignoring that we all share Wildwood and Georgetown Square with others,” Principal Jennifer Baker said.
In the past year, there has been an increase in violent altercations in the areas around the school. For example, on Friday, April 14th, there was an altercation at Chipotle, where people were turning tables over and climbing on them, in addition to the many students running around the area.
“The other day, hundreds of students ran across Old Georgetown Road thinking there was going to be some kind of altercation,” Baker said. “And all of them with their phones out, cars screeching and honking, and people at the shopping center in Wildwood terrified.”
As previously mentioned, due to these disruptions, the lunch policy at Walter Johnson has changed. Starting on May 5th, WJHS implemented the “Pay and Go” policy, which restricts the number of students leaving campus to Georgetown Square and Wildwood Shopping Center to only those who are purchasing their lunches, and those students are required to return to the school after purchasing their lunch instead of staying in the establishments to eat.
“We no longer can invade Georgetown Square and invade Wildwood Shopping Center. That is not a cafeteria, that is a public space,” Baker said.
After the implementation of this policy, concerns have risen about the lack of areas where students can sit inside the campus. The Office of the Principal has addressed this issue, explaining how the school shall provide more seating in the outdoor areas of the campus for students, in addition to the other areas students can eat their lunch at such as the courtyards, the cafeteria, the halls and classrooms.
Regarding the efficiency of this new policy, students claim other students have been obedient to this new rule and after purchasing their lunches they return to the campus.
“I think for the most part people don’t eat [at Georgetown Square of Wildwood Shopping Center] because they just go back to school,” WJHS freshman Dea Krasniqi said.
The new “Pay and Go” lunch policy at Walter Johnson is prone to reducing the number of altercations in nearby areas and establishments, as well as stealing, and aims to create a safer environment for the community and students.
Written by Sabrina Solares of Walter Johnson High School
Graphic by Ziqing Chu of Walter Johnson High School