It’s the norm for students not to worry about the coming school year until the end of their summer break, but many Verrado students are having difficulty finding a way to get it off their minds.
Starting in August, students are expected to start their school day at 7:30 in the morning. Students, teachers, and parents alike were shocked to hear about this drastic change. The early start time also means students would be dismissed earlier in the day.
Trading out an 8:15 am-3:05 pm schedule for a 7:30 am-2:15 pm one has become a controversial choice. Teachers are worried about how engaged and awake their students will be with this new early start time, and parents are worried about how this schedule will affect not just their child’s schedule, but theirs too.
The change was made to Verrado to match up with Goodyear High’s bus schedule, making the schools share routes this upcoming school year.
The decision to change the schedule is not just happening at Verrado High, but every school in the Agua Fria district. Schools such as Millennium and Goodyear High have also adopted this early schedule. While these schools have received an earlier start, that isn’t the case for the other schools in the district.
Agua Fria, Canyon View, and Desert Edge have taken the opposite approach, with their bell schedule being moved to later in the day. A start time of 8:30 am and an end time of 3:15 pm, their schedule was changed to be exactly an hour behind Verrado.
High school is the time to be busy. Students are putting in the work needed for college admissions, such as taking AP classes and extracurriculars. Athletes stay late for practice, with their schedules constantly being packed. An early morning time change may not be the most beneficial decision for a busy teenager.
All across campus, students are involved in all sorts of extracurricular activities. Theatre stays late to work on productions, and Viper Vanguard has nightly practices from 5:00-8:30. These students care deeply about their involvement with these programs.
Within the numerous arts programs comes a lot of commitment. Student Rei Cassidy has been an active member of Viper Vanguard since her first year at Verrado, and she believes that an early start may affect their performance.
She states, “My schedules are incredibly busy, staying after school and doing band activities for more than 15 hours a week. Having this early start next year will drastically change my mental and physical focus.
“With constant late-night rehearsals, waking up extra early the next morning sounds like a recipe for disaster. This new early start will not only harm me, but harm the rest of us in band as well.”
Being well-rested is crucial for focusing on schoolwork. Teenagers especially need at least 10 hours of sleep to function properly. Many have a tough time adapting to a brand-new schedule, especially those who aren’t used to functioning outside of their norm.
It’s not just the students who are being affected by this change, but also adults. Teachers have to learn to adhere to this new schedule the same way their students will.
Biology and Latin teacher Ms. Wentz has taught at Verrado High for numerous years. Needless to say, she has some concerns for not just herself, but the students she teaches every day.
Wentz says, “I think it will be difficult for kids who are in extracurricular activities, especially those who go late into the night. I fear it will affect attendance, especially in the first period. Teenagers just need so much more sleep with their developing brains. Overall, we’ll have to wait and see how everyone adapts to it.”
The schedule change leaves a lot of room for questions. Teachers want their students to be awake and engaged, and students want to succeed in their classes while still having time for extracurriculars, homework, and sleep.
Making the body adapt to a different schedule can be difficult for some, possibly throwing off their focus and time management. As of right now, only time will tell how this new schedule will play out.
