The West Hempstead Board of Education, at a special meeting on Tuesday night, debated about whether West Hempstead High School should allow its students the privilege of leaving campus for open periods. The debate was further fueled by the death of two senior students who were involved in a car accident after they left for lunch in April.

The board seems to be split on whether to allow seniors to leave campus during school hours or close the campus for students the entire day. Ironically, it may be the new board member, Walter Enjes, who defeated board president Vincent Trocchia in May, who decides the outcome of the campus policy. Enjes will be sworn to the seven-member board before the July 15 board of education meeting, during which the board is expected to vote on a policy being drafted by superintendent of schools John Hogan.

Each of the seven current members of the board gave their opinions on whether to institute an open or closed campus policy for the high school when school opens in September, although Enjes will be voting instead of Trocchia on July 15.

Board members Davis Whelpley, Anthony Brita and Marty Kaye favor on open-campus policy that would allow seniors to leave campus with a parent or guardian's permission.

Whelpley said that in the five years he has been on the board, whether to open or close the campus of the high school is the most difficult decision he has had to make. However, Whelpley said he favored allowing deserving seniors to leave campus during a free period since he believes that part of the education process is to teach students responsibility.

Brita also agreed that seniors, with a parent's consent, should be allowed to leave campus but said it should be a privilege that a senior should earn. He suggested granting the privilege if a senior agrees to community service.

Some suggested that the board shouldn't institute a policy in reaction to the accident in April. It is Brita's belief that the school board has to draw the line when it comes to protecting students so that the district doesn't put a bubble around its students. "If someone gets paralyzed playing football, do we stop playing football?" he asked.

Kaye believes the accident came not as a result of a campus policy, but is rather a motor vehicle issue. He suggested allowing juniors and seniors to leave campus with a parent's permission but forbidding students to take their cars off campus for lunch. Kaye favors a policy whereby students would be allowed to drive to and from school but would not be allowed to use their cars to leave campus and then return. However, an issue was raised as to how that policy would be enforced if students park off campus and then use their cars during lunch periods.

Trustees Carol Rilling, Jim Mariano and Pamela Lotito all favor a closed-campus policy forbidding all students from leaving campus during the school day. Rilling said a closed campus provides the safest possible environment while Mariano pointed out that in a free period of just over 40 minutes, students who drive might attempt to rush back and thus drive unsafely. Lotito said she changed her mind when it came to the campus policy and now favors a closed campus, which would give students an additional year to mature.

Hogan will draft a policy that will most likely include a provision to allow seniors to leave the high school for lunch with parental permission. That policy could either be accepted or rejected by the board at the July 15 meeting. If it is rejected, Hogan would then go back and write a policy for a closed campus, which would then be voted on at the August 19 meeting.