The lack of school aid has left the school without an extra set of eyes to supervise students since the position was closed at the end of the last school year.

“I feel fine. I’m not worried about it at all,”  Principal Deb Smith said. “We have staff that supervise the hallways and courtyard areas. That’s never changed.”

In June, the transfer of Madgeolyn Wooten, known as Ms. Madge, was announced when her position was eliminated. The district closed the position for a campus aid, thus preventing Daniel Pearl Magnet High School from hiring a replacement. Smith felt that there was really no need for a campus aid considering the size of the school and the many adults already patrolling the courtyards.

Plus, since the new school year began, the school has been sharing a campus aide with Independence High School who comes two mornings a week from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

But students feel that an extra person would make them feel safer on campus.

“We need security in every school. A random person could just walk in the school and nobody would notice,” junior Clarissa Jimenez says. “It affects our safety.”

Smith said that the position for campus aid has not yet been authorized but once it is, the position will be filled. She says she is not worried and the students shouldn’t be either.

“The position was closed last year and if we get authorized to have that position back then we will hire one,” Smith said. “We don’t have a safety officer assigned here, we’ve never felt that we needed one.”