The Lincoln Log

Although complaining neighbors are not new to Lincoln, this year’s grievances have brought Principal Ronald Pang to his limit in his tolerance for unruly students of surrounding neighborhood properties.

Numerous complaining neighbors have bemoaned Pang for his lack of control on students who litter and smoke on their property. Pang, upset over trash around school and the neighborhood, warns students to clean up their act or face a closed campus policy.

“I have people as far down as 26th Avenue,” Pang said. “I don’t think students intend to harm anybody, but we have old people living there thinking that they might.”

Frustrated neighbors have also threatened to call the superintendent and go as far as the mayor to stop the problematic issue. Pang has talked to neighbors about the situation but without resolution to the growing problem. There have also been reports of people standing in a surrounding neighbor’s entrance close to their residence, smoking and littering on their property.

“They don’t call anymore, thinking that I won’t do anything to stop it, so they call the school board,” Pang said. “I have had complaints from 24th and Taraval, gardeners at McCoppin Park and even down at the library on 24th Avenue. If I get a direct order to close the school, I will.”

Ultimately, closed campus for Lincoln relies on the decisions of the superintendent and the school board.

Lincoln remains the only public school in the San Francisco Unified School District to have open campus without any restrictions during the lunch period. Since closed campus will require two lunch periods, the only locations suitable for students to eat are the cafeteria and the courtyard. A closed campus would also include an extension of 13 minutes to the school schedule to face the population size of Lincoln.

“It’s something I don’t want to do,” Pang said, “but if I have to, I will.”