When You Thought School Can't Be Any Worse

Hillsborough county middle and high school students might possibly have to face longer school days, say school board members. An article by Adam Emerson from The Tampa Tribune titled "Board To Consider Extending School Day" immediately captured my attention as soon as I read its title. Being a high school graduate just last year, I am for sure this new idea will upset many students.

The members of the school board explain that these new changes are to make buses run on time. It is to give bus drivers more time to pick high school students up, drop them off, and then pick up middle school students on time, and so forth for elementary students. High school was to be twenty more minutes longer while middle school will be fifteen minutes longer. I personally think the school board should try to change the school time for both instead of extending it. The issue is that there is a time conflict, and extending school time would not make any difference. For example, before, high school students get out at 2:45p.m. whereas middle school students leave at 4:00p.m., there is an hour and fifteen minutes for bus drivers to do what they have to do to get from middle school to high school students. Now the new plan stated that high school would be release at 3:05p.m. while middle school is at 4:15p.m.. Not only is that only one hour and ten minutes for bus drivers to do what they have to do in between, it is even shorter than the time before. Overall, this plan will make matter worse for both bus drivers and students.

Not only does the school board wants bus to run on time, they believe that some schools also would want their students to have more class time. Schools would obviously want this, but students will be reluctant to even pay attention if they are too busy being angry at this new plan. Even though teachers could use these extra times for planning, most of the teachers I know have second jobs. The time change will effect many after school schedules like for instance work schedule for students. Sarah Wright, a junior at Plant High is always late for her job even with the current school time. Her bell time is usually at 3:05p.m. when her work time starts at 3p.m.. If high school were to be twenty minutes longer, Wright would definitely be very late or unable to work. My brother is a junior at Alonso High and currently works at Publix. His shift is immediately right after school at 3:00p.m.. We all know students cannot work in the daytime due to school and can only work afternoon shifts. With this new time change, many high school students will have to face their angry bosses.

Though it is a big deal for students with after-school jobs, it is not a big deal to some parents who think differently. These are parents that does not mind, but remember, parents are not the one that is being affected. They are glad school is keeping their kids for another fifteen to twenty more minutes. The school district wants to change the transportation system completely different and will be having a more detail discussion next Tuesday. Changes can be good but for this issue, I believe it will just end with chaos and unsatisfied students. Fifteen to twenty minutes will be taken out of their personal lives when they could be using it for homework or to just to relax a bit from a long, stressful day at school.