Principal reports enrollment dip; student presents new school store website

Principal Harvey Bennett reported Oct. 15 that Brookings Harbor High School’s enrollment stood at 356 students, a net drop of approximately 60 students from last year. Bennett said tardies are down about 17% and absences down about 13% compared with the same point a year earlier.

Bennett described an attendance incentive program called the "Bruin Pause," which rewards students for punctuality; prizes include medium beverages (a limited offering) supplied to winners. He gave a graduation-rate range for the class of 2026 of roughly 85%–92% and summarized recent school events including homecoming, float decorations and a homecoming dance that triggered a short evacuation when a fog machine set off alarms.

During a building presentation, Bennett introduced senior Nathan Hill, who showed a website he designed as an assignment for a business-class project. Nathan said the site includes a Coffee Cave menu with seasonal items, drop-down pricing for Bruin Store items, a map of the front entrance, and a hidden gallery page where staff can add photos of items before the page is made public. "Every season, I'm going to change the design for it so that it'll match the season," Nathan said.

Bennett also reviewed academic activities: ninth graders attended Academic Excellence Day, tenth graders had PSAT practice, and eleventh graders were unable to take the ASVAB on campus because of a government shutdown; staff arranged an alternate field trip to the Redwood Theater. He credited school and district staff for stepping into multiple roles during staffing shortfalls.

The board asked clarifying questions about the Coffee Cave (Bennett said average daily take is about $100 with a single-day high of $500) and about staffing and program planning. The board adjourned the public meeting at 6:12 p.m. and moved into a work session.

Quotes used in this report are drawn directly from meeting remarks by Principal Bennett and Nathan Hill.