Lockers. They have long been an extremely important feature at high schools across the country, however, in recent years, many students have completely disregarded them. With well over a thousand lockers at West Chicago Community High School alone, why are they being ignored?

A National Trend: Locker Usage on the Decline

West Chicago Community High School is not the only school experiencing a shift in locker usage. Schools across the country are going “lockerless,” as students opt to carry their school materials with them rather than use the storage space a locker provides.

At Downers Grove North High School, administrators have noticed a similar trend. According to a 2021 report by DGN Omega, students often choose to carry their materials instead of using their assigned lockers, citing convenience and schedule constraints as key reasons.

This shift is not unique to Illinois schools, either. A 2019 report from Alliance High School in Ohio claims just 8.8% of high school students use their lockers; again, locker location was cited as the primary reason students do not use their assigned locker.

Why Do Some Students Still Use Lockers?

Despite declining locker usage, some students still rely on them periodically.

“I do use my locker because I have to put my stuff in there, like my bags, or, for example, if I have a big jacket, I can’t carry it around all day. I have to go put it somewhere. And that’s why it’s convenient to have a locker,” West Chicago Community High School senior Jimena Carrillo said.

Sophomore Jahnett Cholula agrees that lockers serve a necessary function for students who need storage space.

“I use mine for gym and to keep my coat,” Cholula said.

Why Aren’t Lockers Being Used?

While some students rely on their lockers, others ignore them entirely. According to Dorian Carrasco, Dean’s Assistant who works with tardies and lockers, several issues contribute to locker disuse.

According to Dorian Carrasco, Dean’s Assistant who works with tardies and lockers, there are a number of issues related to the management of the lockers at school. He emphasizes the common problems: jammed lockers due to improper storage, improper use, and wrong combinations, among others.

Some students walking the halls may have noticed that certain combination locks are flipped so that only the back can be seen.

“So the backwards locked lockers, that’s just us sending a message out; A lot of the kids like to take their locks off, leave their lockers without a lock. I know a lot of people share lockers, so it’s easier for kids not to leave a lock in there, but it’s just a safety precaution,” Carrasco said. “We need to make sure that all lockers have a lock at all times, just because people can steal stuff or people can put things in there that are again, that shouldn’t be in school. So we want to make sure that we keep a safe environment for the students.”

Some Students Don’t Even Know Where Their Locker Is

For some students, lockers have become so irrelevant that they have simply forgotten about them.

“If I’m being genuinely honest, I have zero idea where my locker is. I don’t know what hallway, what floor, what number – none of that,” senior Louis Zeitler said.

Even students who once used their lockers have stopped due to inconvenience.

“I knew my lock combo my freshman year, and then I stopped using my locker because I didn’t like having to unlock it. It was too time-consuming,” senior Mia Marin said. “And they put a new lock on it, they replaced it, and they didn’t tell me what the new locker combo is, so I haven’t been able to use it. I actually would like to know what my lock combo is.”

Student Complaints About Lockers

At West Chicago Community High School, many students complain about locker size and location, making them difficult to use.

“I do share my locker with friends, and sometimes it can get a little crammed with, like, three backpacks in there,” Carrillo said. “For them, it might just be easier to just share one. And honestly, I don’t mind. My locker might be closer or faster.”

However, WEGO students rarely, if ever, complain directly to the staff, which prevents the administration from addressing concerns. Executive Director of Operations & Safety Dave Pater oversees issues related to building maintenance.

“Yeah, I’d be up for suggestions or some input from students to see how we can improve [locker usage],” Pater said.

Still, numerous students feel their lockers have been neglected.

“They don’t even clean them for the new students that get the lockers next. They need to repaint, they need to remodel: they just need to redo the holes, redo the lockers, just replace them, because people have a hard time opening them,” Carrillo said. “If they can redo the bathrooms, they should redo the lockers.”

Cholula echoed similar frustrations, stating that while she finds her locker useful, its size and locking mechanisms make it difficult to use.

“Maybe making them at least a little wider would help. It’s hard to get my big backpack in there, and also, just improving the material would be nice because they get stuck a lot, and they’re pretty old,” Cholula said.

There are others who claim they have never gotten follow-ups related to issues opening their lockers.

“I went and asked about [opening my locker]. They said they would open it, but never followed up with it,” senior Vanessa Espinoza said.

A Lost Tradition: Senior Locker Selection

Locker concerns are not new, and in the past, students had more control over where their locker was assigned.

Before the current system, seniors were able to choose their locker location, giving them more accessibility and convenience. However, that tradition ended sometime seven to eight years ago.

“I think it is ridiculous; once one is a senior, they should at least have the privilege of choosing their locker,” Carillo said.