Early Release Friday

Everything you need to know about next year’s schedule change.

Staff Member: James Cornelius

Position: Social Media Editor

It’s official - next year, during the 2023-2024 school year, early release will be moved from Wednesday to Friday. Be ready for full school days Monday through Thursday, followed by an early release on Fridays at 2:10. So why make the change? There are a few key benefits to this adjusted schedule, such as better continuity in education and more continuous instruction would be available throughout the week, allowing students to spend full time in the classroom for more days in a row. Placing early release at the end of the week would also add time to the weekend, allowing students to leave early and begin their rest. Additionally, students statistically miss school on Fridays more than any day of the week. Fridays are both more convenient for students to skip and frequently missed for sports, activities, and trips. Placing the early release on Friday makes it so that students won’t miss as much if they don’t attend school that day. Of course, this change may be accompanied by a few cons. First of all, students will need to adjust to the full schedules from day to day. Currently, students are provided with a “break” in the middle of the week with a short schedule; this leaves no more than 2 fully scheduled days in a row. However, switching to Fridays leaves up to 4 fully scheduled days in a row, which may add stress to student and teacher schedules. Furthermore, many athletics and clubs already schedule around early release Wednesdays; an adjustment would call for rescheduling of practices and events. Despite these setbacks, early release Fridays have received overwhelming support from parents and faculty. In the staff survey, an 87% majority elected to switch to Friday for early release. In a parent survey with over 1200 entries, a whopping 94% supported the change.So what do you think? Do you like the idea of early release on Fridays? Or do you prefer Wednesdays? Whatever the case, be prepared to adjust your schedule for the 2023-2024 school year.