By: Matthew Vibbert

The Warren County School District just recently added a new scheduling, removing one period in the day and adding an Advisory time, which allows students to interact within different clubs. It also extended every class period to fifty minutes, which makes more time available for lessons to be taught and helps teachers get further in the course than normal.

Along with this reform, administration gave every classroom a holder in which students are to put their phones at the beginning of the class. The phones stay safely in that holder during class and can be picked up after the class period. Students are permitted to use their cell phones only during their three minutes in the hallways in between classes, as well as during lunch period.

The Squire interviewed Mr. Leonhardt about his thoughts on the reform.

TS: What changes in the reform do you dislike, and why?

SL: I don’t like being asked questions about high school reform.

TS: What changes do you like in the reform, and why?

SL: I like the extended class periods. It gives me more time to tell my dumb jokes.

TS: Are there any thing you would personally add or remove from the reform? Why?

SL: Although I think it’s good to have a dedicated time for clubs and activities, there are plenty of students who are in activities they’re not interested in. I’m not sure how to fix that. Some people will never be interested in anything at school. It’s sort of a double-edged sword.

TS: Are there any things in the reform that are unnecessary, what things, why do you feel they are unnecessary?

SL: I don’t think it was necessary to shorten the time between classes to three minutes. I think we should go back to ten minutes between classes.

The new reform brings some benefits, as well as some challenges, with everyone trying to figure out and learning the new scheduling. Overall, though, it allows for the students to learn more, and for the teachers to be able cover more material, as well as allowing them to have more class time, giving them a little less stress and more leniency day to day. The cell phone policy has been an adjustment for students, but id does help limit the distractions for the teachers, making it easier for them to get through their lessons without having to keep an eye out for students on their phones.

Overall, the high school reform does bring some beneficial things, while it also has some negatives for the students. It gives teachers much more time to teach, and it allows them to get further with their lessons giving students more things to learn about. It also gets rid of distractions for the teachers with the phones being put into the holder.