SPRING BREAK SHOULD COINCIDE WITH OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS SUMMER SCHOOL IS UNDERUTILIZED

OPINION BY JADE WILCOX

Schools should have their spring break correlate with other school districts.

Each year, students get a break during the school year during either March or April--hence the term “Spring Break”. Unfortunately, friends and family in different school districts often do not have the opportunity to go on vacations together, or even hang out during the days, for their breaks do not line up.

In Wadsworth, it is determined by multiple different parties.

“The teachers vote on potential calendars for upcoming school years. The school calendar is typically created years in advance…the calendar needs to be approved by the Board of Education,” said Dr. Suber, principal at Wadsworth High School.

This is practically identical to the happenings in the Chippewa District in Doylestown, OH.

“We are typically given 3-4 versions of a school calendar,” said Jamie Zollinger, principal at Chippewa Intermediate School. “The Administration can give feedback, the teachers union gives feedback and the Superintendent takes the ideas and creates a version. That version is then presented to the school board. Ultimately, the school board has to approve the calendar.”

Students’ should have the ability to request the weeks to line up, or at the very least, suggest to the teachers what weeks would work best for them the following year. This would allow for the students to feel like they are being heard, and would allow a chance for their schools to line up.

Having Spring breaks lined up may alter transportation and travel plans, as more cars would be on the road and more flights would be booked at the same time. This could cause popular vacation spots such as beaches and Disney to become overpopulated. Not everyone has to go to these spots for Spring Break; some may wish to stay local and play board and video games with their out-of-district family and friends.

Even though this could be seen as a negative, it would, again, allow families and friends from different schools to have a chance to spend time together during the school year, instead of being forced to wait for Summer Break to arrive.

OPINION BY LUKE HOUSER

Summer school at WHS allows students to take an economics or government course during the summer. This frees up a class period during the school year, making it easier for students to choose other classes they may be interested in. However, many students avoid summer school because it takes time away from their summer or because they might just not realize it is an option they can choose.

“I took gov and econ over the summer,” said Zachary Randles, senior. “It was only like two weeks and it was only a couple hours each day so it was really worth it.”

Summer school is usually not discussed with students unless they have a conflict with the Four Cities Compact or cannot take it because of another class.

“I took [the semester-long] government and now I’m taking econ,” said Matthew Livingston, senior. “It definitely would’ve been faster [in the summer] and I probably would’ve been with more of my friends... I think it’s underrepresented for the younger grades.”

Students can take both economics and government over the same summer, knocking out two semester-long classes in less than six weeks. Granted, taking summer classes for four hours a day might seem like a lot, but with it all being during the morning, students can easily take a summer class and then still have the rest of the day free.

“I’m planning on this summer taking economics and government summer school,” said Emily Holmes, junior. “I’m taking the animal science compact and I don’t have room to take it during the normal school year. I heard about it through my counselors.”

For students who do not have conflicts, it is often never brought to their attention that summer school is even an option.

For many, summer school is not a known possibility. For some going through the traditional economics course at the end of their senior year, it would have been far more beneficial to have completed it during summer in order to have more freedom in their current schedules.

“I think freeing up your schedule during the school year would make it easier,” Holmes said. “I think some of your health and technology classes that you need to graduate would be good.”

WHS should also offer more than just economics and government classes as summer classes. Allowing students to take all their required semester-long courses, such as health, during the summer would allow a lot more flexibility among students’ schedules.