Skyline High School implemented a new hall pass for the 2025-2026 school year, a two by two foot long board made of plastic, with the room’s number it belongs to on it in a big white font. These replaced the old lanyard style passes.
Students have not taken a liking to the new style and argue it’s too big and unnecessary. However, the administration thinks it’s what this school needs to protect its students.
The idea was taken from Cottonwood High School but has had a history at Skyline. “Well, the big one existed here at Skyline for a long time. I don’t know why they went away from it, but our teachers really like them,” Assistant Principal Benjamin Anderson states.
The new change was sprung on Skyline students, and although bigger, most wouldn’t say better. “I think the hall passes last year were easier to use and easy to carry around,” Skyline Senior Sam Simos says. Simos, along with many other students, think last year’s pass was much more convenient and this year’s are a burden to carry around.
Skyline’s administration, on the other hand, finds them to be more hygienic and security effective. “If you’re carrying a cloth that never got washed [like last year’s lanyard hall pass], they had a year’s worth of kids holding them, taking them to the bathroom,” Anderson says. When asked about the new ones, he thinks that they are a lot easier to clean. However, there are no hooks for this year’s passes, so they are to be left on the ground when using the restroom. Because of this, they might not be considered to be all the more sanitary. According to Anderson, “security-wise, I can tell somebody belongs here or doesn’t.” This is helpful for not just Skyline staff but also for the students’ safety.
For the time being, it does not look bright for students who miss the old style hall pass; administrators do not seem to show signs of wanting to revert back to what it used to be. So, for now, Skyline students are required to use what they have got.
Still, they can express how they feel. “These are annoying. They’re big. Stupid,” Nico Breshears says.
