This year at Venice, there have been a number of changes including an increase in enrollment.

According to Principal Yavonka Hairston-Truitt, there are now around 2,236 students and 200 staff members on campus, which speaks differently to last year’s 2,100 students. 

Students have noticed the increase in foot traffic and crowded hallways. Commuting from class to class has become more and more of a hassle, especially with such a large campus such as Venice. Students get caught up in a swarm of other students when walking, stairwells overfilled, and stampedes nearly everywhere.

“Going through the hallways to go to the bathroom in between periods is a death trap,” said senior Cade Fischer.

That being said, teachers are noticing the increase in numbers on campus as well.

“I’ve also seen hallways overcrowded as the sidewalk served as a third hallway and now kids are getting caught up in the halls,” said music teacher Wendy Sarnoff.

Furthermore, according to Hairston-Truitt, almost every space is now being occupied by teachers on campus. All old faculty rooms, storage rooms, and un-occupied classrooms are now in use as a result of more students on campus with now all one hundred and ten rooms being used.

“I have a lot of inequity in my classes,” Sarnoff said.

“I’ve offered to teach a seventh or zero period class, for I’ve seen counselors struggle to put students in classes.” “My first period has eleven students while my third has thirty-nine,” she said.

There has also been an influx of campus security who have to advise and monitor students with now fifteen campus aides. 

The new additions to security and staff is due to the wave of new students on campus, Hairston-Truitt said. In addition, she said that increased security will help prevent trespassing and open campus issues that took place last year. 

“We knew we needed to expand our security team,” Hairston-Truitt said.

As she’s beginning her first year as principal, Hairston-Truitt said that there’s the responsibility and pressure she feels with the expansion of students and staff. She wants to uphold that positive image of Venice and its level of excellence. 

“I was notified I got the job and the next night in my head was 2,000 kids and 200 staff,” she said. “It just hit me—it’s real, I’m responsible,” she said. 

While Hairston-Truitt lamented the stresses that may come along with being a first-year principal and its shortcomings, she could not emphasize how beyond excited she feels about all these new priorities and carrying the torch to burn brighter.

“It’s a great problem to have,” she said.