To: The Township High School District 113 Board of Education and Administration
Statement of Purpose:
We, the undersigned students, parents, guardians, and community members of District 113, request targeted updates to our current school policies. We believe that fostering student well-being, trust, and a supportive learning environment requires both a more compassionate approach to attendance and the restoration of traditional campus freedoms during unassigned time. Current rigid restrictions have harmed student morale, leading many to feel that the school environment is overly punitive and restrictive. This petition addresses these needs through a two-tiered proposal aimed at restoring a positive, trusting community and campus culture.
Tier 1: Implement a "Parent Discretion" Excused Absence Policy
The current attendance rules place unnecessary strain on families and students navigating personal family matters, personal/private issues, the common cold, or burnout. High academic pressure requires a safety valve rather than strict containment.
- The Proposal: Grant parents and guardians the authority to excuse up to four (4) absences per school year without requiring a medical note or official documentation.
- The Impact: This policy acknowledges that parents are best equipped to judge their child's physical and mental well-being. It shifts the dynamic from one of policing to one of partnership. Providing this flexibility will immediately relieve burnout, boost morale, and show students that their s/e health is valued over rigid tracking.
Tier 2: Re-Open the Coffee Shop and Hallways During Free Periods
Current restrictions heavily limit where students can spend their free periods and which restrooms they can use. Confining students to rigid, over-monitored zones strips away their autonomy and directly contributes to a counterproductive, institutional feeling on campus. High school should be a transitional environment that builds independence, not a lockdown.
- The Proposal: Re-open the school coffee shop and designated hallways to students during their free periods and allow students to choose which bathroom is most comfortable for them to use-
- The Impact: Allowing students access to these spaces promotes a mature campus culture based on mutual respect rather than confinement. It offers students a space to collaborate, eat, or decompress and/or use the restroom that is most comfortable for them. Giving students agency over their free time and personal needs replaces a climate of suspicion with one of responsibility, drastically improving how students view and experience their daily school life.
Closing Appeal:
By enacting these changes, District 113 will demonstrate a commitment to holistic student health, mutual trust, and a vibrant campus culture. We urge the Administration and the Board of Education to review these proposals, dismantle the overly restrictive environment, and work alongside the community to restore student morale and freedoms.
Updates
Reached 100 supporters
September 4, 2026
25 Comments
As a Deerfield senior, I feel like we’re being babied, and it’s ridiculous. The bathroom passes are also disgusting and completely unsanitary. We shouldn’t be punished for last year’s seniors’ attendance issues when they don’t even go here anymore.
As a student, I feel trapped in a building for 8 hours after being stripped away of freedoms. Students learn how to navigate their own responsibility during school hours in order to be prepared for college, in which rules like these don’t exist. Students should also not have to show up to school sick and not get proper healthcare because they don’t want their parking spot taken away or to get in trouble. Deerfield has stripped away personal freedom and sanitation, choosing reputation over safety
Our parking shouldn’t be held over our heads. People get sick, have college visits, and other things. The rest of the school doesn’t really get affected by this and just bc the seniors were bad doesn’t mean it should hurt us now.
These new rules are ridiculously punitive and take away autonomy for high school students. Why are they all being punished?
Because
As a student, I feel completely trapped in a school that no longer feels like a place where we're trusted with any real freedom. Carrying around those gross, shared bathroom passes is just spreading germs everywhere, and nobody wants to hold something dirty that dozens of other people have just used. It’s frustrating because our school has some of the highest academic performance in the state, yet the administration still treats us like we can't be trusted. Even a massive school like Stevenson,
Its good for the culture and community
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To: The Township High School District 113 Board of Education and Administration
Statement of Purpose:
We, the undersigned students, parents, guardians, and community members of District 113, request targeted updates to our current school policies. We believe that fostering student well-being, trust, and a supportive learning environment requires both a more compassionate approach to attendance and the restoration of traditional campus freedoms during unassigned time. Current rigid restrictions have harmed student morale, leading many to feel that the school environment is overly punitive and restrictive. This petition addresses these needs through a two-tiered proposal aimed at restoring a positive, trusting community and campus culture.
Tier 1: Implement a "Parent Discretion" Excused Absence Policy
The current attendance rules place unnecessary strain on families and students navigating personal family matters, personal/private issues, the common cold, or burnout. High academic pressure requires a safety valve rather than strict containment.
- The Proposal: Grant parents and guardians the authority to excuse up to four (4) absences per school year without requiring a medical note or official documentation.
- The Impact: This policy acknowledges that parents are best equipped to judge their child's physical and mental well-being. It shifts the dynamic from one of policing to one of partnership. Providing this flexibility will immediately relieve burnout, boost morale, and show students that their s/e health is valued over rigid tracking.
Tier 2: Re-Open the Coffee Shop and Hallways During Free Periods
Current restrictions heavily limit where students can spend their free periods and which restrooms they can use. Confining students to rigid, over-monitored zones strips away their autonomy and directly contributes to a counterproductive, institutional feeling on campus. High school should be a transitional environment that builds independence, not a lockdown.
- The Proposal: Re-open the school coffee shop and designated hallways to students during their free periods and allow students to choose which bathroom is most comfortable for them to use-
- The Impact: Allowing students access to these spaces promotes a mature campus culture based on mutual respect rather than confinement. It offers students a space to collaborate, eat, or decompress and/or use the restroom that is most comfortable for them. Giving students agency over their free time and personal needs replaces a climate of suspicion with one of responsibility, drastically improving how students view and experience their daily school life.
Closing Appeal:
By enacting these changes, District 113 will demonstrate a commitment to holistic student health, mutual trust, and a vibrant campus culture. We urge the Administration and the Board of Education to review these proposals, dismantle the overly restrictive environment, and work alongside the community to restore student morale and freedoms.
Updates
Reached 100 supporters
September 4, 2026
25 Comments
As a student, I feel trapped and locked into a school that no longer feels like a place where I have freedom. These bathroom passes are spreading sickness and germs everywhere, and no one wants to carry a dirty pass after someone else just used it. This school has some of the best academic performance in the state, yet they still choose to make it feel like a prison. Even Stevenson, which has five times the amount of students as us, has an open campus and free halls. This is stripping freedoms
As a Deerfield senior, I feel like we’re being babied, and it’s ridiculous. The bathroom passes are also disgusting and completely unsanitary. We shouldn’t be punished for last year’s seniors’ attendance issues when they don’t even go here anymore.
As a student, I feel trapped in a building for 8 hours after being stripped away of freedoms. Students learn how to navigate their own responsibility during school hours in order to be prepared for college, in which rules like these don’t exist. Students should also not have to show up to school sick and not get proper healthcare because they don’t want their parking spot taken away or to get in trouble. Deerfield has stripped away personal freedom and sanitation, choosing reputation over safety
Our parking shouldn’t be held over our heads. People get sick, have college visits, and other things. The rest of the school doesn’t really get affected by this and just bc the seniors were bad doesn’t mean it should hurt us now.
These new rules are ridiculously punitive and take away autonomy for high school students. Why are they all being punished?
Because
As a student, I feel completely trapped in a school that no longer feels like a place where we're trusted with any real freedom. Carrying around those gross, shared bathroom passes is just spreading germs everywhere, and nobody wants to hold something dirty that dozens of other people have just used. It’s frustrating because our school has some of the highest academic performance in the state, yet the administration still treats us like we can't be trusted. Even a massive school like Stevenson,
Its good for the culture and community
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As a student, I feel trapped and locked into a school that no longer feels like a place where I have freedom. These bathroom passes are spreading sickness and germs everywhere, and no one wants to carry a dirty pass after someone else just used it. This school has some of the best academic performance in the state, yet they still choose to make it feel like a prison. Even Stevenson, which has five times the amount of students as us, has an open campus and free halls. This is stripping freedoms