Whittier : Student Lockers Will Be Removed at Dexter School

Whittier City School District trustees have voted unanimously to remove student lockers from Dexter Intermediate School, a decision they believe will save time, money and improve campus safety.

Maintaining lockers costs about $3,000 to $5,000 a year, officials said, citing time-consuming efforts to paint over graffiti, repair lockers, change locks and investigate locker theft. Removing lockers from other campuses has reduced tardiness and hallway congestion and eliminated a potential storage site for illegal drugs and weapons, they added.

To keep from having to carry books from class to class, students will be allowed to maintain one set of textbooks at home. The district would purchase another set for students to share in class.

The locker removal is part of a larger school modernization project, which should be completed by next fall. In the meantime, Dexter students are attending Wiggins School, a campus rented from a neighboring district.