As the school term nears its end, piles of water bottles and clothing lie strewn across tables outside the office and accumulate in Carlmont High School’s lost and found, with many eventually going unclaimed.
According to Allegra Ferme, a Carlmont secretary who’s in charge of the lost and found, unclaimed belongings are donated at the end of each academic quarter.
“I have created a new system; when lost items are brought to the office, I take a photo of the item and upload it to the lost and found slideshow,” Ferme said. “Students can access the slideshow through Canvas.”
The slideshow was introduced in an effort to simplify the process of reconnecting students with misplaced belongings. If items contain identifying information, the office attempts to directly contact the owner or return the item personally.
“If I can identify who the item belongs to or if it’s labeled with a name or student ID card, I will have it delivered by calling the student to collect it,” Ferme said. “I’ve gone as far as connecting AirPods to a phone to see if a name pops up.”
Despite these efforts, dozens of items remained unclaimed. The lost and found currently contains more than 90 items, although Ferme estimates that by the end of the quarter, about 50 belongings will be left behind for donation.
“We drop off the items at the Goodwill in San Mateo and Burlingame, Savers in Redwood City, the Thrift Center in San Carlos, and in the purple clothes donation bin behind the school. Whoever does the drop off can choose which location is convenient,” Ferme said.
While the office has expanded efforts to return misplaced belongings, some students say the system still presents organizational and security concerns.
“There’s always the possibility that someone could claim something that doesn’t actually belong to them. Since a lot of items look similar, I think there could be confusion over who things belong to,” said Neilson Chien, a Carlmont sophomore.
Some students were also unaware that unclaimed belongings are eventually donated at the end of the academic quarter.
“I wasn’t aware that items eventually got donated, so if someone forgot something important and didn’t check in time, that would probably be frustrating,” Chien said. “At the same time, these donations go towards people who need them, so it could be helpful if no one goes to claim their item.”
Although some students raised concerns over ownership confusion, Ferme emphasized that disputes within the lost and found system rarely occur.
“So far, I have not had this issue. I usually have students describe what they are looking for so I can match their description to the missing item,” Ferme said. “In the worst-case scenario, if the item was returned to the wrong individual, we can call them back in and get it back to the correct owner.”
According to Ferme, the large number of abandoned belongings may reflect broader patterns about student life and habits. Between classes and responsibilities outside of school, students can easily overlook smaller belongings. Ferme added that students may own multiple versions of the same items, making it easier for belongings to go unnoticed.
“It could be consumerism, with students having so many of a certain item they might not even realize it’s gone,” Ferme said. “I think with all the things that high schoolers have going on in their lives, they can become forgetful over little things.”
The trend of frequently misplaced items is also noticed by staff members responsible for maintaining the campus.
“If I see lost items around campus, I turn them in to the office. I’ll also look for lost items,” said Gary Hogan, a Carlmont custodian. “Usually, it includes water bottles and jackets. Sometimes I’ll find a cell phone on the steps and take it to the office too.”
Ultimately, while many belongings are eventually donated or forgotten, the lost and found continues to serve as an effort to reconnect students with items that might otherwise disappear unnoticed.
“My goal is to return all items to the correct student,” Ferme said. “I hope that the lost and found remains a convenient way for students to check and also to get more eyes on the lost and found items.”
