Is the new bell schedule featuring an earlier start and a longer day proving to be a blessing or a curse? Reviews are mixed.
In 2022, plans for construction on Amherst High school were finalizd. The STEAM addition expanded resources of Amherst’s Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math programs. The construction of the new building was set to be finished by the 2024-2025 school year. In order to meet this deadline, the school provided construction crews as much time as possible; however, the presence of students and ongoing classes slowed progress. For this reason, summer break came early.
In order to maximize time for the construction to be done, the district implemented a new bell schedule for the entire school, meaning the school day would begin at 7:55 am and run until 3:20 pm, an extra 5 minutes on each side of the day. This schedule allowed the school to get its required minutes in by May 26, releasing more than a week earlier.
Although the STEAM Addition is now finished, and construction is no longer a factor, the school has continued to follow the amended bell schedule. Students and staff have mixed reviews regarding the decisions.
Sophomore Cloe Giese happens to be one student who approves of the new schedule. She agrees with some others that she misses starting later, “I miss school starting at 8:00 am, but I enjoy having a longer break because it lets me have more of a reset.”
Naomi Bohm, another sophomore, has a different opinion. “Waking up earlier is not worth it, I want to sleep in !” she said.
Of a more neutral opinion, Alaina Zietlow doesn’t really care either way. “I get here at 7:30 anyways so 5 minutes doesn’t make a difference,” she said.
From the standpoint of a teacher, Kaycie Peck doesn’t believe it was good for the students’ learning. “… Scientifically, teenage brains do better when they start later,” Peck said. “I certainly do like having an earlier summer, but it’s not great for educational purposes.”
Students and Staff have varying opinions on the issue, but they are not the only affected parties. Marlene Sannes, a bus driver for the Tomorrow River school district said, “We [bus drivers] really like having a longer summer but we would even like to start earlier. If we could get out at the old time it would save us the extra daylight, 10 minutes can make a lot of difference.”
Overall, everyone seems to enjoy the extra summer, it’s just the early start and late days that reveal mixed opinions.
