Beginning with the start of the new 2023 school semester, the stairwells and hallways of East High School have worsened in efficiency through an increase of excessive traffic in frequently traveled areas of the building. With thousands of students traveling through the halls and stairways every hour, this limit in travel function is having repercussions for students throughout the school.

“Our school is over capacity,” Casey Fries, principal of East High School said. “And not that it’s changed since the beginning of the year, but we’re running over 120% capacity as a building.”

For the last few years, East has struggled with the overflow of students. According to Fries, school management is relying on the opening of the newest highschool, Standing Bear, to help alleviate the cramped condition of the school.

Originally, certain classes were intended to be released a minute earlier than others, to prevent hallway congestion.

“Even [numbered] class periods would release early-out at even periods, odd class periods at odd periods,” Fries said. “However…it got to where the majority of classes in our building were releasing early…which was costing us instructional time. So, we made the adjustment starting this semester that we’re no longer releasing students early from their classes.”

Although the removal of rationed early releases has luckily not caused a major increase in reported tardies and allows more class time, the smaller passing period has made hallway – and especially stairwell – congestion worse, and made it much more difficult for students who have long distances to travel to easily reach class in time.

“There are also sometimes better routes for students to take,” Fries said. “[But] if students are really struggling to get to a class and are trying their best…most teachers and administrators are accommodating and can help with that.”