“I had students ask if they could eat outside in the science classroom and I said, ‘No.’” Kelley said. “Then I said, ‘but why don’t you just go out on the courtyard?’ They said, ‘well, we can’t’ and so, I just noticed that that was an issue.”

On Jan. 24, Kelley held the first meeting for a committee in her classroom to discuss the improvement of the courtyard. The goal was to make the courtyard accessible to students. One of the leading problems that they had to address was safety. The rotting walkway was removed, but the concerns are now surface roots.

“One of the things that I think our administration was concerned about was the cypress trees,” Kelley said. “They have their roots, they grow knots, and so they [the Parkway admin

istration] were worried that maybe that was going to be a tripping hazard.”

With the help of Shana Kelley, junior Ricky Mehrle is helping to make the courtyard a place for students and teachers to enjoy by being a leading figure on the committee. Mehrle’s motivation to jump on this project came from his older sister who painted the mural outside of the history commons.

“Next year is my last year here. I want to be remembered for something major around the school,” Mehrle said. “So, I thought if I restored and helped to restore the courtyard that would be an awesome thing to be remembered in the school for,” Mehrle said.

In addition to creating his own designs for what he wants the courtyard to look like, including a new deck and seating areas. Mehrle envisions the courtyard being a place for students to enjoy class.

“During classes, lots of students try to ask their teachers, ‘hey, can we go outside and learn outside’ and teachers say ‘No, we really can’t,’” Mehrle said. “If the courtyard was accessible, that’s another place that teachers could take their classes.”

In addition to the added flexibility and change of scenery that students and teachers would be able to experience, Kelley points out the potential for extra health benefits.

“It’s just really nice to be able to go outside, eat your lunch, get a whiff of fresh air, get some sunlight, and get some vitamin D,” Kelley said. “A lot of times it can boost your mood, it can help with mental health. I mean, there’s a lot of official things we could draw back to data, but in the end, it’s just a nice opportunity to be able to have a different setting.”

At this point after two meetings, the committee is now discussing how to implement a deck as well as how to drain the water that is pooling inside the courtyard. Kelley has reached out to administration to get permission to start working.

“If we do get approved to build a deck, then we have to talk about money.” Kelley said. “Obviously, it would cost a lot more to have a professional build deck. But my concern is safety. You know we want it to be as safe as possible.”

Whether it be a deck, drainage system or study area, money would need to be a large part of any discussion, according to Kelley.

“It’s a fine line because these outdoor spaces don’t have any money,” Kelley said. “So, whatever has to happen, has to either be kept up by volunteers, or has to be really low maintenance and so that’s the line that we’re walking in this.”

Another concern that administrators and teachers are aware of is the opportunity this poses to allow students to vape on campus. The doors are currently unlocked to the courtyard however, what regulations students have seems to be in the air at the moment.

Kelley notes that regardless of the quality of the outdoor space, being allowed to use the space will depend on the student body and whether the general voice is to use or abuse the area.

“So when we get out there,” Kelley said. “We need to make sure we’re cleaning up our trash and we’re being respectful to the organisms that are living there and just treating it with respect.”