In an email sent to both students and parents, Mr. Mike Wells, principal, informed the MHS student body of the administrative decision to return to a traditional, eight-period schedule for the next school year. Despite this return, he says, future examination for possible alternative scheduling options will continue.

The proposed transition back to an eight-period day for next year is not without slight deviation from previous years. The new schedule would include late start days on Tuesdays and Thursdays, though every day would start five minutes earlier than before—7:30 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and 7:55 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. School would also end five minutes earlier. Additionally, the proposed schedule for next year will also reserve time before school once a month on Tuesdays for club meetings. 

“We did propose starting (school) five minutes earlier and getting out five minutes earlier,” Mr. Wells said. “The reason for this is because transportation is finding it difficult to complete their after school routes for secondary and make it to the elementary schools for their afternoon routes. Transportation indicated that an additional five minutes would help alleviate this problem.”

The decision to return to an eight period schedule was not without immense deliberation—department chairpersons, faculty and teachers have all voiced rationale. As it functions this year, block scheduling has caused teachers to lose nearly three weeks worth of instructional time when compared to the traditional schedule. Teachers have also experienced difficulty in keeping up with a curriculum not tailored to the block schedule of this year —according to Mr. Wells, in February some AP teachers found themselves two units behind in teaching content. 

Despite some student and parent inclination suggesting block scheduling to be a superior option, Mr. Well says that the option of block scheduling in the future has not been dismissed, but the current schedule “is not representative of what a true block schedule would look like during a school year” and that a more permanent decision should be made with deliberation from parents, students and staff.