With enrollment on the rise, halls are crowded with hundreds of students trying to get to their next class while others are mingling with friends at their lockers, causing much undesired congestion.

“This year we have about 80 more students than last year, about 425 students in total,” Principal Deborah Smith said.

More students in Daniel Pearl Magnet High School (DPMHS) could result in a cap (maximum students are approximately 500) of the school’s enrollment.

Having one main hallway is hectic, but to reduce the congestion, a new rule began this new school year: No locker usage during passing period. That’s a rule that is frustrating many students.

“People already have a bunch of stuff to carry like notebook, huge binders and back packs all day. Adding books would make things heavy,” freshman Jonas Acebes said.

Enrollment increase isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The more students a school has, the more teachers it receives. This means there’s an opportunity for more teachers to be hired, resulting in more courses and smaller class sizes.

Three new teachers joined the school this year.