Hollister
– Leticia Nuñez waited in ‘Baler Alley Monday to pick up her
15-year-old son Chris after school.
Hollister – Leticia Nuñez waited in ‘Baler Alley Monday to pick up her 15-year-old son Chris after school.
For Nuñez, San Benito High School was the last stop in a long day. “I have three kids and they all go to different schools,” Nuñez said. “I have elementary, middle and high school.”
For many parents like Nuñez, a new class schedule at San Benito High means another wrinkle in an already complicated day of getting kids to and from school.
The new schedule – the third at the school in as many years – took effect when classes resumed Monday following Christmas vacation. Students now start 8:50am, 45 minutes later in the morning than they did in the fall.
For Nuñez, it adds nearly an hour to a busy morning routine. That routine now includes stops at Marguerite Maze Middle School at 7:30am, R.O. Hardin Elementary School at 8am and at San Benito High at 8:50am. Nuñez estimated she will spend three hours per day picking up and dropping off her three boys.
San Benito High Principal Debbie Padilla said the adjustment to the new schedule may be especially difficult for parents who are commuters and those with children in lower grades like Nuñez, whose son Chris is a sophomore.
“With the 8:50 start, that’s been the challenge for our commuter families,” Padilla said.
Pam Chamblin waited in ‘Baler Alley to pick up her nephew Dallen Britton for her sister. Joanne Britton works in Morgan Hill and, because of her commute, could not take Dallen to school Monday.
Chamblin said she and Britton hope to make alternative arrangements to get Dallen, a 15-year-old freshman, to school.
“We’re hoping we can find another family to carpool with,” Chamblin said.
The new block schedule is the same one that this year’s juniors and seniors followed when they were freshman and sophomores. Padilla predicts older students – and their parents – will have less trouble adjusting.
“We do have our bus routes that we have updated on our Web site,” Padilla said.
Padilla added that the school’s library is open at 8am for parents who wish to drop their students off early.
But while parents may be struggling to adjust, some San Benito High School students will be enjoying the chance to sleep in a little later, thanks to the new school schedule.
Freshmen Danielle Acosta, 14, Gabi Marquez, 15, and Stacy Olguin, 14, were all enthusiastic about the new schedule.
“I don’t have to wake up as early,” Marquez said.
Olguin is one of approximately 250 students at San Benito High enrolled in zero period – an optional class that begins at 7:35am four days a week.
“We get out of school early when we have sixth period,” Olguin said.
Other students said they didn’t notice much change, in spite of the schedule change.
“None of my classes actually changed,” said Luis Acevedo, 14-year-old freshman. “I just have a different teacher for first period.”
Although Acevedo seemed to have a firm grasp of the schedule change, some did not.
“Things were a little bit hectic this morning making sure everybody knew they were on a red day,” Padilla said.
But everything was settled and running smoothly by 9am, she said.
The schedule last semester differed radically from previous years. Students would attend all six of their classes on Monday. Tuesday and Thursday were then “red” days, with first through third periods, and Wednesday and Friday were “white” days, with fourth through sixth periods, and an optional early morning zero period Tuesday through Friday.
The new schedule will do away with the six-period Monday and will alternate red and white days, some weeks having three white days and two red days, other weeks having three red days and two white days.
Padilla hopes the change will improve students’ learning environment.
“Most of the studies that have been done show that any time after 8 o’ clock is better for kids,” Padilla said.
The schedule change was the result of the teachers union filing an unfair labor practices charge with the Public Employees Relations Board. The union said the schedule change between the end of the 2005-2006 school year and this year’s fall semester was never approved formally. The schedule now in use was the last to be agreed upon.
For families with students struggling to remember which week starts with what day, Padilla said the school’s Web site provides a schedule.
“Print it out, put it on your refrigerator,” Padilla said.
Michael Van Cassell covers public safety for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or mv*********@fr***********.com.
