During class time at Jupiter High, students are required to walk with an adult hall monitor when leaving the classroom in non-emergency situations, such as going to the restroom or turning in a homework assignment to a teacher in another classroom. 

For the next few weeks, the school will operate in a modified code yellow, which means there will be limited movement around the school, and classroom doors will remain locked. This new rule will limit the amount of students wandering the halls and encourage them to stay in class.

“Since last year the amount of kids vaping has kept increasing dramatically, and we have tried to educate kids and talk to kids, and we have done amnesty where you turn in your vapes, but it  continues to grow,” Principal Dr. Colleen Iannitti said.

Over the the past few months, there has been an increase in the number of vaping-related deaths nationally.

“What also continues to grow is the number of students getting sick from vaping, and the number of students actually getting taken out by ambulance. By having an escort we are really hoping that it really dramatically cuts down or eliminates the vaping,” Iannitti said. 

Some students agree with Iannitti that this new policy is the best solution for our school.

“I think it is needed and which is important because if we didn’t have it, then kids will be vaping,” freshman Palmer Stampar said. 

Other students said they think the new rule is a violation of privacy and unrealistic because of the large size of JHS.  

“I think we should be able to go to the bathroom whenever we want, and not have to be escorted,”  sophomore Gracie Ayers said. “There are so many other solutions that we can take, such as having smoke detectors, and just having higher consequences for vaping.”