Poly has introduced lockers for Middle School students since they went away in 2020, along with official locker assignments for the Upper School Boys’, Girls’ and Gender Neutral locker rooms. This update is designed to improve personal storage, enhance security for students’ property, and ensure equitable access to storage.
Head of Upper School Sarah Bates sent out a form on September 2 to Upper School students, prompting them to request locker room assignments. The form was due the following Friday, enabling over 400 students to apply. However, students didn’t have to apply for an individual locker assignment. Instead, in the following weeks, students can ask the Director of Athletics and Chair of Physical Education Peter Soto for an individual locker assignment. Currently, all Middle School and Upper School students who requested a locker, can access one.
Students now have the option for more storage with the addition of lockers. They first receive a locker number assignment, which is organized by grade, and then a lock with a combination provided by the school. Middle School lockers, which were installed this summer, are in the weight and equipment room hallways, while the Visiting Girls’ locker room has been renovated into the Gender Neutral locker room. The Upper School Boys’ and Girls’ locker rooms remain in their traditional locations.
For many Middle School students, such as Rory Muldrow ’31, the lockers are a relief. “I am excited to have somewhere to put my books and extra materials during the day because in the cubbies I couldn’t do that,” she said.
Harper Goergen ’26 highlights how the new locker assignments allow for a significant security improvement. “Before, in the Girls’ locker room, if I was to keep deodorant or perfume in my locker, people could just open it, use it and either put it back or just keep it,” Goergen explained. “So I think it’s important that they’re giving out locks.”
Administrators share that sentiment. “It’s painful when I get emails about things getting stolen,” Bates stated. “So now, if you get something stolen, it’s more on you because you do have the lock.”
This change comes after years of students lacking reliable personal storage. “We got away from [the need for lockers] just before COVID and during COVID,” Bates explained. “Now that the school is doing renovations this summer, there was approval [from the Chief Finance and Operations Officer (CFOO) Monique Lopez, Head of School Noni Thomas López and the Board of Trustees] that allowed every student to have a locker and a locker room.”
According to a 2022 Polygon article, the closure of former Middle School locker rooms sparked ongoing conversations about how to best provide storage. “COVID has caused us to think about the best way to have lockers…what we want to do is rethink the best way to have a locker room and our current setup maybe isn’t the best way,” former Director of Health and Well-being Sarah Zuercher told the Polygon.
In the meantime, students relied on shared cubbies located next to Commons to store winter coats and personal belongings. However, this came with problems. Head of Middle School Dan Doughty said in an email that there is not enough room in the cubbies to store these items neatly, as they are “first-come, first-served.” Additionally, according to the aforementioned Polygon article, the lack of lockers led students, specifically Middle Schoolers, to be distressed about carrying their heavy backpacks throughout the day.
Lopez emphasized the broader values behind the change. “In the spirit of equity, we opted for having Middle School locker assignments according to girls, boys, and gender-neutral. Now, having seen it brought to fruition and into implementation, it’s such a nice accomplishment.”
For Upper School students, the new system also means added responsibility. “Lockers, albeit small, serve as a big stepping stone in responsibility and making sure you have your locks if you want to keep your belongings safe,” Lopez said. All of it “serves as stepping stones towards being caring and thoughtful young adults.”
Similarly, Lopez emphasizes a foundational approach for younger Middle School students. Lockers will help them “make sure that they’re keeping their area tidy and managing their time,” she said.
For now, the lockers symbolize a shift toward structure and trust. As Lopez put it: “It starts with you all as students. We’re seeing what you need and what you want, and then us as the ones, the stewards of this institution, to execute.”
