Seniors should have the option of an early dismissal schedule

Senior year marks the end of an era for K-12 students. However, students depart with various options for future endeavors. Are all seniors being adequately prepared for college, trade school, or the workforce? Will students leave school ready to be independent, financially and mentally, and properly transitioned into adulthood? An adapted senior year would be a beneficial solution.

By the time students reach their senior year, they will likely already have a majority of their graduation credits achieved. Seniors tend to be left with wide-open schedules, with an exception of usually English and math courses necessary. 

Local school districts, Twinsburg and Hudson, have applied working plans incorporating academics, but also not holding students to fill a full-day schedule. Opportunities like this provide seniors more time to get jobs and save money for college, tie up loose ends to get ready for their future plans, and to promote more independent time for students to prepare themselves for what is to come as much as possible. 

There are already minor solutions in place for high school students, such as College Credit Plus and Excel TECC. However, promoting more student independence and future focus on a widespread scale such as an adapted schedule, this could encourage many more students to get jobs and arrange career/schooling choices. 

Opponents may refute the idea of an early dismissal by debating that high school is proper preparation for college. While high school courses can assist students in college, there are a few loopholes in this idea. First of all, not every student has plans on attending a university and would rather join the workforce. Additionally, students being given more time daily could promote a stronger work ethic and more responsibility, by having to figure out how you would invest your time responsibly, or getting a job and being able to save money for college. 

Many potential solutions could be proposed to this topic. For example, schools could make it as simple as student attendance only being mandatory to classes that are required for graduation credits, and then being able to leave afterwards. Schools could also create individual plans with students on what they would do the rest of the day, like take college classes or getting a job or join a career based group, still keeping involvement in student lives. 

Senior year will result in seventeen and eighteen year olds departing from the K-12 school system and onto future endeavors, which a high school senior year should go about to ensure student success, responsibility, and maturity for their plans. Allowing students to invest their free time independently can encourage better time management skills and teach seniors other important qualities that they can carry with them for their futures as non-high school students anymore.

BY: Tommy Wallack

Image By: The New York Times