The new schedule has brought changes to all students at the high school this trimester, but it specifically affects the students in our work-based learning programs.With the end of the day being changed to 3:15 p.m., it cancelled out the hours of students.

“I lose around seven and a half hours of work in a week now because of the new online schedule,” junior Blake Williams said. 

Blake, an employee of Walmart,  is not the only student with this loss. 

“I do work-based at the fire department, so this change to the schedule impacted my hours because I would have been able to do it longer, but with the change I can only do it for two hours a day,” senior Kobe Nichols said. 

The new schedule was created to be a helpful tool to families with younger children who may be using the internet for their schooling in the morning. The school district was being cautious of internet connection and not wanting to cause overload. However,  this online schedule interferes with work, and interrupts in depth learning for many high school students. 

“I have work-based learning for my final hour of the day,” said Williams. “I was supposed to work from 1:20 p.m. to around 6 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Now I am working from 2:50 p.m. to around 6 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This way I lose an hour and a half, each day I work.”

According to the counseling office, roughly, 12 to 13 students take work-based learning during the last or last two blocks of the school day, allowing them to leave early and begin their work study at an earlier time. 

“I have work-based learning for periods one through three and hour six,” senior Jeremiah Spaude said. “I regularly work five eight-hour shifts. So, I usually work at Flying J from 2 p.m. until 10 p.m. or 3 p.m. until 11 p.m. Monday through Friday. Other days, I would work during my morning periods too.”

The new schedule creates difficulties for students working morning hours as teachers are still assigning work for the day during their work hours, potentially causing students to fall behind. Many aspects of the new schedule are difficult for students who need to work and stay caught up in school. 

“I wish we had a normal day online schedule for students. So far I haven’t been taught any lessons just handed assignments and gone over the answers in class. Learning like this is going to cause my GPA to drop because there hasn’t been any teaching in a 36 minute period,” said Williams.

Not only does it affect the learning at school, it also affects learning at the job site. Kobe would like to become a wildland firefighter in the future and his work-based time at the fire station is helping him to learn more about it. However, his time is cut short with the schedule, allowing him less learning opportunities. 

“I wish the schedule were normal because I would have more time to be down there and go on more calls and learn more about the profession.”