Park is making a change to the high school schedule for the 2026-27 year. This change will implement block scheduling and will feature four classes per day instead of the seven class schedule Park currently uses. According to Assistant Principal Alyssa Gardner, the block schedule was originally an idea that came from before COVID-19. She said this idea has come back up since she joined Park, and they’ve been discussing the sustainability of this new schedule idea and working to confirm the schedule change.
“The block schedule model that we’re going to (use) came out of a committee before COVID. I believe it was parents, students and teachers who were looking at a schedule that better fit the needs of students in school,” Gardner said. “They made a recommendation — wanting to go to a modified block schedule — then COVID hit and the world changed. It’s been something we’ve been looking at since I’ve been here, and (especially) with the timing of needing to make a change to go to a more sustainable schedule because of budget. The timing all worked out where we decided now is the time to start seriously planning and preparing for a block schedule.”
According to sophomore Celia Slattengren, the new block schedule has a potential to work, but Park needs to be open to ideas. She said students and staff need to be willing to change things if the new schedule doesn’t work.
“(The new schedule) can definitely work, but we have to be open to adapting and doing it with an open mind and be willing to make changes if it’s not working,” Slattengren said.
According to freshman Nikolai Rhodes, he’s not going to like the schedule change because of the duration of the class. He said it will make him less productive because he will get tired quicker from being in class longer.
“I’m going to hate it because I already can’t stand being in a classroom with a teacher for 40 or 50 minutes, so 70 or 90 (minutes) sounds much worse,” Rhodes said. “It’s going to make me less productive because I’ll be in the class for longer, and I’ll get tired of it quicker or I’ll just, towards a point, become a lot more tired.”
According to Gardner, Park’s administration is trying to utilize teachers’ voices to see what will work for them. She said it’s not just teaching two lessons in class, but it’s a different style of teaching, so she wants the change to make teachers prepared.
“We are planning to align all of our professional development for staff around preparing for teaching in a block model because it’s a different style of teaching,” Gardner said. “I truly believe we have a really amazing group of teachers here in this building, and that the adjustment for many of our teachers is going to feel very normal and natural because it’s how they already operate with students and operate in their classroom, but it’s going to give them some breath to really be able to expand on it, and we want to ensure that everybody feels prepared for that.”
According to Rhodes, he maximizes his time by trying to do as much work as he can during the school day. He said while the schedule might wear him out, it also creates the benefit of having to do less work per day because there will only be four periods.
“Usually, I’m too tired to have a schedule at home, so I just try to do as much work as I can in school. I might get more worn out in school (with the block schedule),” Rhodes said. “Although having less classes at a time could make it so I have less work to cram.”
According to Slattengren, block scheduling will have a big impact on everyday classes. She said some classes may be easier with the extended class, while others will be more challenging due to a loss of focus.
“It will have a big impact on every class just because the structure is going to be so different. Classes like english might be easier because you’ll be able to sit down and write for longer and that’ll be easier to stay focused,” Slattengren said. “But then some classes like math and science that are more challenging, you may lose focus faster.”
