Split SCHEDULING BEGINS FOR THE 2009-10 SCHOOL YEAR
The Schedule: Phase I of Mandatory Split Scheduling
There will be two planned start times for students:
6:44 a.m. for juniors and seniors
8:44 a.m. for freshmen and sophomores
9:44 a.m. lunch period for juniors and seniors
Three planned dismissal times for students to clear the hallway and classroom space:
12:40 p.m. for some juniors and seniors
1:40 p.m. for the remaining juniors and seniors
3:44 p.m. for freshmen and sophomores
Phase II
Phase II will be implemented when enrollment reaches 4,250 students (currently LTHS has 3,951 students with an average student increase per year of 147.8 students over the last five years (Enrollment). This puts Phase II on track as early as the 2010 school year or as late as 2013, though this is still an estimate based on trends in the housing market.
In Phase II of Mandatory Split Scheduling, half the student body will attend school from early morning until noon. Buses will drop off the first half of the student body, then return to pick up the second half which will attend classes until the early evening.
Impact on Students:
The number one problem students will face with the Split Schedule will be a possible reduction in their current academic opportunities. This is uncharted territory, but the logistics will be difficult to navigate. For instance, students who attend morning classes will have no choice but to vacate the premises in order to make room for the second wave of students, and this will keep them from accessing staff members, counselors, or school resources for necessary help and research. Students who are designated to attend the morning schedule and who wish to partake in any extracurricular activities (i.e., band, sports, choir, drama, etc.) might have to provide their own transportation to return to the school in the evening, when such activities will begin. Besides the obvious concern that fewer students will have the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities as these logistic hurdles might not be possible for all students to overcome, there will be less student participation in activities as 4,000 plus kids vie for the limited number of spots on any one team or club. The other possibility is a reduction in the traditional offering of extracurricular activities as the late release of second shift students will make it difficult to run programs at such late hours.Impact on Residents:
Split scheduling undoubtedly will require the parents of high school aged children to modify their routines as students will be coming and going at nontraditional hours. But even citizens without school-aged children will be affected. With the split schedule, buses will be on our roads not just twice a day, but a minimum of four times a day. These buses also will be on the road during peak traffic hours as the modified start and release times coincide with rush hour.As mentioned, students who finish class at noon but who are involved in extracurricular activities will find that they have a four-hour gap between the end of school and the start of their activity. As they will not be able to stay on campus, they will necessarily disperse into the community immediately surrounding East and Central campuses. This will be particularly problematic during times of adverse or severe weather. Volunteers, such as churches, the Park District, and day care centers will be sought to accommodate such students.
Currently, East Campus is used by the community for a host of special activities; baseball clinics, Lockport/Homer Swim Club, Bulls and White Sox clinics, the Gold Card Club (seniors citizens). As the split schedule will keep students in the building later than they are currently, access for citizen groups necessarily will be limited.