By Jonathan Sager, Staff Writer
HCPSS has significantly altered the schedule for the remainder of the school year to make up for missed school days. The past winter season has been a particularly harsh one in Maryland. Intense snowstorms have caused numerous school closures and delays, including an entire week of school after midterms that was missed due to snow. False alarms and other weather events, such as tornado warnings, have also led to school delays and early dismissals. HCPSS has chosen to change the schedule for the remainder of the year as a result of all of the days of school that were missed.
HCPSS has changed days that were previously scheduled as closures and made them either half days or full days. Some of these dates have already passed, such as Tuesday, March 3, which was changed from a half-day to a full day of school, and Monday, April 6. Additionally, Wednesday, April 15, was changed from an off day to a half-day. Thursday, May 14, Thursday, June 11, Friday, June 12, and Monday, June 15 were also changed from half-days to full days. Extra days were also added to the end of the school year. The school year now extends to June 18 as half-days were added on the dates of June 16, 17, and 18.
Students at River Hill have had mixed reactions to the changes in scheduling. For many students the shortening of spring break disrupted their travel plans. Junior Shea Divver-Bono recounts how his spring vacation was disrupted. “I had to leave my beach house early so I did not miss any school, which is something I wouldn’t have to do without the changes” Bono recounts. Students may have also made plans, expecting for school to be closed on certain days and these sudden changes to the schedule have gotten in the way of their plans.
Furthermore, the daily grind of high school can be very stressful and takes a toll on the health of students. Many students look forward to days off of school since off days give them time to relax and hang out with friends. Junior Jayden Brown explains how “off days are a valuable time to get a break from the intensity of school.” With the removal of many off days to the remainder of the year, students will have less time to relax and connect with their friends.
Additionally, beginning Monday, May 4, high schools in Howard County will start two minutes earlier, beginning at 7:48 am as opposed to the current start time of 7:50 am. This may seem confusing and an unnecessary change. “Why only two minutes, that seems really unusual,” pondered Bono, but it was done to make up for four hours of school that was lost because of the unexpected closures to school in March. This schedule adjustment may pose problems for students who have trouble making it to school in the morning. Brown is an example of one of these students. Brown explains how “it‘ll definitely be harder to drive to school given it starts earlier.” As a result of an earlier start time, Brown predicts that he will “absolutely have to leave earlier.” As a result of this change, students who live far away from the school will have a harder time getting to school, especially if they have to drive, since heavy traffic is a very common occurrence on Route 108 in the morning.
Overall, the schedule changes announced by HCPSS will serve as a major change to the rest of the school year, as students will spend a little more time at school as the year comes to a close.