As we start this new school year, we can acknowledge a lot of new changes. One of the main challenges however is the new seven by five schedule, which is defined as seven classes a day for five days. 

The switch to this new schedule was because the district saw a drop in STARR test scores, in which they came to the conclusion that the new seven period schedule might be for the best. 

This topic is discussed in detail in Judson alum, Samara Penny’s, article in conversation with former Judson High School principal Richard Mendoza: A change in period scheduling goes into effect next school year.

Not only are students adding two more classes to their daily schedule, but the time for each class has been shortened significantly. 

Classes that previously lasted an hour and a half are now cut down to just under an hour. This new structure requires students to retain information quicker and teachers to fit their lesson plans into a shorter period of time.

As expected, the reaction from students has been mixed. Many students voiced that this new schedule would increase their stress and provide less time to finish assignments. They are worried that the reduced class time would make them feel rushed in lessons and not provide enough time to talk about the topics. 

“I feel like now it’s harder for me to understand the material, and when class starts, it already feels like it’s time to pack up and leave,” described junior, Jamil Shaheed. 

On the other hand, some students have found good benefits in the new schedule. A few students have talked about how the shorter classes actually help them maintain focus and keep them on task. 

 “When I first learned about the seven-by-five, I wasn’t interested at all and wanted to keep the five. Now I prefer the seven-by-five because the school day goes by quicker.” explained junior, Jazzlyn Herrah.

For seniors, however, the transition is way bigger. Due to spending more time using the old five-by-five schedule, they had to adjust quickly to a schedule that is completely different from what they were used to. 

“At first, I didn’t want or agree with the change,” stated senior, Aubrey Taylor, “but now since I started it, I don’t mind it as much and think it makes the day go by quicker.” 

When comparing the opinions of students and teachers, a huge difference occurs. 

Teachers seem to be more enthusiastic about the new schedule. Many teachers have expressed that with the old schedule, they only had a semester to teach a year-long course. They felt lessons were rushed, and students weren’t holding the material as thoroughly as they could.

“For my regular classes, I prefer the seven-by-five because I get more time to teach my students the material,” said Rory Hoxie, a US history teacher at the school. 

However, even though it made it easier for regular classes it’s much harder now. 

“I now have to go from an hour and 30 minutes class period to a 55-minute class for my AP, which is much less time to cover the amount of material they have,” stated Mr.Hoxie. 

The new seven-by-five schedule created a lot of mixed feelings from both students and teachers at first. However, as the year progresses, many opinions have shifted from negative to positive. Though everyone had different views, from the start, many teachers preferred this new schedule compared to students.