The Fayette County School System on its website is currently conducting a survey to gain input on the idea of changing the school day for high school students. The change would provide students with the ability to earn additional credits beyond the currently 24-credit structure.
School system spokesperson Melinda Berry-Dreisbach said high school students, their parents, teaching and administrative staff and the community at large are being asked to give their input on options for altering the high school day.
The three options that surfaced at a meeting of the Fayette County Board of Education in July would increase the number of classes that could be taken during the school year, allowing more time for students to enroll in courses of their choosing along with those required for graduation by the Georgia Department of Education, Berry-Dreisbach said.
The three proposals include a trimester schedule, a seven-period schedule or a seven-period hybrid.
The trimester schedule would include five classes in each of the three semesters of the school year and provide the ability for students to earn up to 30 credits.
The seven-period day would allow students to earn 28 credits, as would the seven-period hybrid. The difference in the two is that students under the hybrid schedule would have seven classes on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays and four classes of 90 minutes each on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
“Increased graduation requirements by the state have made it more difficult for students to take elective courses of interest,” Berry-Dreisbach said. “This is why the school system is considering other options and needs input from stakeholders.”
A PowerPoint presentation reviewing the options and an online survey are both currently posted on the school system’s website at www.fcboe.org
The PowerPoint presentation explains why a change is needed, provides detailed information about the three options, pros and cons, and gives a side-by-side comparison of the current schedule and the three options, Berry-Dreisbach said.
The documents will be posted until Sept. 15.
Berry-Dreisbach said parents of students enrolled in the school system will receive an invitation to respond to the survey through Infinite Campus. Hard copies of the survey are also available at the LaFayette Educational Center.
