Hollister
– San Benito High School’s class schedule – which allows
students an early release option – has has been criticized by some
school board members who feel it exacerbates the school’s growing
truancy problem.
Hollister – San Benito High School’s class schedule – which allows students an early release option – has has been criticized by some school board members who feel it exacerbates the school’s growing truancy problem.
In January, the high school switched to offering the last period off for those students who take a zero period class. Some feel the staggered schedule increases the likelihood of students skipping classes and could increase hooliganism in the community.
A zero hour course is one that falls before the typical school day starts, so the students are offered the opportunity to either take an extra class, or come early and leave early.
“I think there’s a lot of kids out on the street that shouldn’t be out on the street,” trustee Mary Encinias said.
Encinias said she is concerned that with so many students out of school and skipping school, the community would see an increase in vandalism and drug use. She added that she doesn’t think that students should be coming and going, when the school has a closed campus policy.
“Either you make it a closed campus or you don’t make it a closed campus. Otherwise it’s a joke,” Encinias said.
The high school’s principal, Debbie Padilla, acknowledged that there have been some problems as a result of the zero hour and early release schedule.
“The community’s concern is that we don’t know who legitimately is out of school and who is cutting,” Padilla said. “But there is a truancy problem in the afternoon with or without some students getting those periods off.”
The school now has a rotating schedule, with students attending periods one through three on some days and periods four through six on others.
There are about 400 students who get their last period off depending on the schedule – 218 who take sixth period off and 260 who take third period off, both of which fall at the end of the day.
More students are expected to take zero hour classes next year, and that could result in more students requesting early release, although the number currently signed up for early release next year is still around 400.
So far this year San Benito High School has had 3,000 truancies during sixth period and 2,900 truancies during third period.
Padilla said administrators are looking for solutions to the truancy problem. One of the reasons the problem exists, she said, is because it is difficult for monitors and other community members to identify those students who are skipping, and those who have early release.
Padilla said she is looking at implementing identification tags which indicate if the student has early release, a regular schedule, or independent study.
“Students are going to hate it, but the bottom line is we have to work with the community and work with the school,” Padilla said.
Padilla said the administration is also working on other remedies to alleviate the problem, such as expanding the school’s tutoring program so students could stay on campus during their free period and work on their other classwork.
“Right now we’re trying to work with the schedule we have to improve upon that,” Padilla said.
Alice Joy covers education for the Free Lance. She can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 336 or at [email protected].
