Pick schedule that helps students, not saves cash

Beginning with the 1998-1999 school year, Flathead High students will return to a six-period day, with an early bird for those motivated students who have the urge to spend half of their waking hours at school. I have just one question: Why?

It seems that the big issue, as usual, was  money. We simply don’t have enough money to keep the seven-period schedule. Well, how were we able to do it this year? I can understand that we are trying to be thrifty.  Wouldn’t it be better to spend a little more money and provide the best possible education for students?

The choice of a schedule next year seemed to be between the four-period or the six-period day. There was too much discontent with the four-period day, and that I can understand. Who really wants to sit in a class for an hour and a half? We took the lesser of the two evils, the six period day.

Currently, students who need or want to take seven classes this year don’t have to deal with the burden of having to find a way to school by 7:30. Next year, however, the bus won’t run in time to get students to their early birds.

Unfortunately, not everyone lives within a 10-mile radius of the school and not everyone has nice new cars to drive and lots of money to spend on gas.

Another problem with the early bird is that there were/are only 11 classes offered.  Early-birds will be added hinging on the number of students who sigh up.

Even with the added classes, it isn’t likely that there are going to be enough to accommodate all the students wanting seven periods. So what about the remainder of the students who are left needing/wanting a seven period day but none of their classes are offered as early birds?

There are some benefits to the six-period day. Sure, FHS saves some money and we also get extended class periods. But will two or three minutes really make a difference? We also will not have the problem of the students and teachers coming in at different times.

So  you must ask yourself, do the benefits out weigh the drawbacks? No. It reminds me of something my grandma used to tell me— “Don’t put a band-aid on a perfectly fine finger, wait till it’s cut.”

Davey Demars, ‘99

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