Students and teachers alike at the home of the Hillmen are heated about next year’s rumored schedule change. Questions have been raised such as: What are the reasons behind the change? Is lunch really going to be after second period? And most importantly, how will this affect you as a student?
This year, school begins at 7:39 AM and is dismissed at 2:39 PM. But Placer High Principal Peter Efstathiu stated, “The ideal schedule would be from 7:55 to 2:55.”
This may not seem like much of a difference and may even be appealing with fifteen extra minutes to sleep in, but one may still ask, what are the motives for the change?
Efstathiu stated that the main reason for the change was that, “the groups of parents and students I have spoken with have said that school starts too early.”
Efstathiu also went on to say that the new schedule would open up more opportunities for zero period classes.
The reaction to next year’s schedule change has been controversial. Some people are completely opposed to the idea, while others do not feel like the twenty minute change is that big of a deal.
Junior Camille Semons agreed with Efstathiu and said, “It’s not that much later, so it doesn’t have a huge affect.”
Junior Jesse Stedman opposes the idea. “I think that the school has already experienced enough change [with the transition to the 4×4 block schedule], and we don’t need another one.”
The main cause of controversy surrounding this topic is the possibility of having lunch between second and third period at 11:05 AM. Efstathiu confirmed that next year’s lunchtime is still “up in the air.”
Semons, who is against having lunch after second period, stated, “I’d rather have it after third so you can just go to fourth and then go home. We are going to be seniors next year, and we want to be able to have free fourths, so it wouldn’t be fair to us.”
Stedman agreed and stated, “After lunch I’m exhausted and I don’t want to have to go to two classes before the day ends.”
The effects the schedule will have on ROP and sports and activities will be minimal. Sports will still be at the same time, but there may be a time crunch going from 2:55 PM dismissal to 3:15 PM practices.
The nutrition break, another cause of controversy, is not going anywhere next year.
Efstathiu stated, “It’s not hurting anyone. Some kids who didn’t get the chance to eat in the morning use it to get the meal they didn’t eat at breakfast.”
The school’s start and end times may be different next year, but as Efstathiu said, “It’s only a matter of adapting.”