Everett High School is officially extending the school day from seven hours to nine and a half. Starting April 5, the school days will last from 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said Everett High Principal Dr. Braga, shedding light on his opinion and reasoning behind the sudden shift in schedule. “We’ve based it on our yearly student data studies. The extra hours will be incredibly beneficial for all students, and especially those who are struggling to keep up in their classes.
With the extension of the school day, student schedules will now be able to fit in two extra classes, along with a second intervention period. “The extra hours are for the students to really focus on their weakest points,” stated grade 12 assistant principal Rico Dello Iacono. “It gives them a chance to fix their grades before the end of the year. Lord knows some of them desperately need all the help they can get.”
The initiative, according to Dr. Braga, had “been in discussion” for over three years, though it never got approved and passed for fear of student’s likely adverse reactions. This year, however, the plan was finally put into effect, because “the pros indefinitely outweighed the cons,” as claimed by vice principal Robert DiLoreto.
A prevalent concern that came up during discussions for this change in schedule was extracurriculars. When asked to weigh in on how students will balance extracurriculars and the extended school day, Vice principal James Murphy commented, “What extracurriculars? Students can barely keep up with the four classes they have right now! They can worry about extracurriculars once they get their GPA to a 3.5.”
Another major concern is how students will react. As a precaution, heavy metal bolts are being added to all the doors, entrances and exits of the high school. By the time students are back from April Break, the doors will be locked, dropped and bolted.
