On January 6th, 2026, it was announced that the BCB policy would be changed—now only to be used for students to meet with teachers, attend classes, and collaborate on schoolwork with adult supervision. This was a jarring shift from the previous policy, which allowed students to come and go whenever they needed a place to work, rest, or collaborate with others from 7:30am to 4pm. But was this change really necessary? Although the library’s renovation created more free space for students, the BCB’s policy change was ultimately unnecessary and disappointed many Prep students.
In the first place, the conference rooms in the BCB were already occasionally reserved for interviews, meetings, events, and more. Instead of closing off the entire building to many students who wish to study or work there, especially after school, they could have simply allowed teachers to make reservations for the conference rooms to meet with students. That way, students and teachers could coexist in the building. Given that the rooms are pretty separated from the common area, we wouldn’t impede on each other’s work or concentration.
Furthermore, the BCB was a great place that students cherished, a sanctuary where they could work with friends, finish their homework, or just spend some time relaxing. Tyler Woo ‘28 comments that he “loved that he could hang out with his friends in the BCB.” Additionally, Princeton Wong ‘29, a freshman new to the school this year, said that “the removal of the BCB from free student use deeply devastated me.” For the student body, the BCB was a place of connection, productivity, and joy. It was not just a place where we could work hard and progress individually; it was a beautiful, modern facility where we could cooperate and enjoy each other’s company—a symbol of the unity of the Flintridge Prep community.
At the end of the day, the BCB policy change was heartbreaking for many students. While it may have been a strategic revision to provide more opportunities and space for teachers and administrators, it was ultimately the disheartening removal of a precious, unique, and loved space from the student body. With all that in mind, it seems as if perhaps the influence of the student voice on the Prep campus is unfortunately diminishing.
