Valley High School principal uses TikTok to share new student arrival procedure

Valley High School Principal Jon Banko is a TikTok influencer — at least in the New Kensington-Arnold School District.

Many educators have made quite the name for themselves on the social media platform, racking up millions of “likes,” but Banko isn’t after fame. He’s simply looking for another way to communicate with students.

On Thursday, he posted his first TikTok, telling students they’ll enter the high school through the auditorium lobby starting Monday, instead of through the gym. Students who don’t bring a bag, he explained, can use an express line in the security office from 7 to 7:30 a.m. Bag or not, everyone must pass through a metal detector.

As of Friday morning, the video accumulated nearly 2,000 views, plus 80 shares, likely indicating students are sending the video to one another.

“I wasn’t trying to be fancy,” Banko said. “It was way easier than I thought it would be.”

@coachbanko #VJSHS ♬ original sound - Jon Banko

TikTok is merely a supplement to the district’s usual communication channels, Banko said. Families also can expect a message about the new procedure via the student information system and a phone call Sunday.

“My experience says the more different platforms you can use, the better your reach is,” Banko said.

One advantage of TikTok, according to Banko: Students don’t need to follow him to have his videos appear on their “For You” feed, which curates content partly based on a user’s past interactions and location.

Banko said the change in entry point through the auditorium lobby is because of the ongoing demolition of one of the pedestrian bridges in front of the school. In October, the school board approved more than $400,000 in contracts to replace the walkways over Little Pucketa Creek.

Previously, buses would pull into a fire lane in front of the gym, but the area currently is fenced off to house construction equipment. The school started welcoming students through the gym a few years ago as repairs to the main vehicle bridge got underway.

Banko cited other reasons for making the switch back, including security. With more room, fewer students will be waiting outside in the cold, reducing pressure on security guards and teachers to speed up the process.

“If it gets too fast, you miss stuff,” Banko said.

The roundabout in front of the auditorium entrance also will help improve traffic flow, making mornings safer for students, bus drivers and parents, Banko said.

Students will continue to leave in the afternoons through the gymnasium entrance.

Banko believes that, come Monday, his TikTok will have helped spread the word about the new drop-off procedure.

“I think the kids will share it with their friends so everybody knows what’s going on,” Banko said.