At Empire High School, as well as many other schools, senior students have the privilege of only taking four classes a day. Unfortunately, budget cuts are taking that privilege away, as they seem to be doing with everything these days. With the effects concerning some more than others, students and staff have been put into opposite moods when given the news.
This year's seniors will be completely unaffected, as the new change will take place at the start of the 2010-2011 school year. Their opinions are not the most important since they just like to poke fun at the lowerclassmen for not being able to have half-days every day. All the other classes are quite angry, but for more reasons than one.
Being a junior, I have heard most of the points of discussion concerning this topic. Most people are disappointed that they cannot have a shorter school day and are made to stay for a mandatory full day. A lot make excuses, such as that they were planning on getting a job or taking extra online or college courses. Many of those are most improbable reasons because numerable half-day-seniors this year are without jobs and are not receiving any form of education outside of Empire.
Teachers, regardless of how student schedules change, are required to stay at school from 7:45am to 3:45pm. They are unbiased in regards to the general student population’s schedule. The teachers and the students who talk to them know the reasons why the school lengthens senior class schedules.
Incoming college freshmen are doing worse on their entry exams, which determine course placement for basic subjects such as math. Students are failing these tests because they become unfamiliar with the material due to an absence of teaching. Having a mandatory six-period schedule for seniors could very much help students keep their minds sharp and refreshed.
For the students that take a half-day, they tend to take on a more recreational lifestyle. Friends and activities become more important than finding and holding a job. The focus strays from a secure financial future to a pleasuring present. Fortunately, filling a students day with more educational can help fixate a person more on the reality of things.
Of course, the main reason for elongating the school days is for money. It is as simple as that. Many benefits come along with the decision, but schools are trying to find any and all ways to keep their budget from hitting the floor.
Schools receive funding based on the amount of hours their students are in class. When seniors leave after their fourth period, they are not accounted for, and therefore schools like Empire do not get funding for teaching those students.
In the end, a full day’s schedule will help both students and the schools in which they learn. Students have a better step into their futures, and schools can continue to fund their bare necessities. While many students complain and complain about how they do not want to go to school for a few hours more, the change is for the best interest of everyone.
About the author: Spencer Taylor is a Junior at Empire High School; his classmate CJ Nieto shares a simlar view on a full day for seniors.
