There were many students who have experienced scheduling conflicts this year, the most prominent of which include starting second period instead of first, figuring out how to get to school and having to choose between classes. Scheduling has always been an issue, but this year, it has become difficult to satisfy everyone.
Assistant Principal Diane Santamorena helped uncover why so many students were not happy.
“More people are speaking up, and we are getting to the point where [the school is] too big to be able to offer the choice of one through six and two through seven,” Santamorena said.
Using a computer software, staff are able to create a schedule for each student and try to assign everyone to the courses they need.
“It’s great that more kids want to take more classes, but we’re staffed for the minimum requirement to graduate, which is not seven classes every year,” Santamorena said. “Classes are full, but they are not full enough in one particular area for another teacher.”
To create a new section of a course, a certain amount of students is required. This year, however, the lack of additional sections has limited what periods a student can take a particular class.
Sophomore Bella DeRuvo was one of the many students who were not satisfied with her schedule. She wanted to take periods one through six but instead received two through seven.
“[The schedule conflict] messes up my mom’s carpool schedule,” DeRuvo said. “It’s inconvenient for us and has ruined our routine that has stayed the same since elementary school.”
She was not able to drop any classes to get the periods she wanted, because all of the first-period classes she wanted were full.
According to many students, they struggled to find a ride to school, since parents usually start work early in the morning. More students are having to walk, ride bikes, or take the bus. “It’s tough, especially on Tuesdays, when we have to walk to school because my parents work,” DeRuvo said.
Senior Hunter Mahan is another student unhappy with his schedule. He wanted to take periods one through five but ended up with one through six. After some time, he dropped his normal English class and replaced it with AP Literature. “I wanted to take periods one through five so I would be able to get out of school earlier,” Mahan said.
For many seniors who wanted to take five classes early in the day to be able to leave sooner, there is very little to no possibility of accomplishing that, according to Mahan.
