The joy of scheduling season approaches

In a few weeks, the colored packets are going to get passed out to current Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors. During the class selection process, students are required to select their primary choices, as well as a smaller list of alternative choices in case they can not get all the classes on their primary list. Counselors always give reminders to pick classes students could see themselves taking, and they mean it.

For Freshman and Sophomores it is important to make sure you have gotten your graduation requirement classes completed as soon as possible. Once you become a Junior or Senior, there are more specialized electives available to take, and it would be unfortunate to have to take classes like health or physical education in your senior year for required credit rather than something you may want to pursue that meets your interests. It is also wise to get the World Language credits early and take them consecutively.

There are always classes that students can sign up for that the school is unable to provide to them. Although MHS Principal Kevin McKenna said, “there is not this magic number,” of students that determine whether or not a class runs, whether or not a class runs relies on students’ willingness, and the ability to provide a qualified teacher. “With unique programs I try to offer- when you’re hitting that 20 (students) or above and I can afford to offer the staffing, then we can do it,” McKenna said. If the class is hovering right around the cutoff, the staff determines whether or not they can afford the time or teacher to offer it, or if other classes that are more necessary should be taught in its place.

“You’re going to have more math classes and more English classes,” McKenna said. “Those departments are larger than any other because there are four credits needed.” These classes are also more often able to happen because they are required to graduate. For languages, only two years are required, so it is much more difficult for the advanced class to run past that since there is a drastic drop off in enrollment once it is no longer required; this makes it difficult to run a class with below the minimum students, especially electives, since the tradeoff is much more beneficial.

It is no lie that the scheduling process is not perfect. The statistics and probability class was running, for a portion of the first term, with well below the minimum of students required (nine). Since it was mainly a senior class, there would be no later opportunity for those students who needed the semester credit to graduate. Due to staffing conflicts, the class was moved to e2020. Senior Danielle Borst signed up for a teacher-taught class. Now the students are learning math through videos on Edgenuity. “Honestly, learning on Edgenuity sucks. I had signed up for an in person math class and I got shoved into an online program halfway through the term. It was unfortunate that my class got pushed to the side and I had to learn a different way than we planned and how we had been learning. It’s hard to adapt to a different style of learning than what I had signed up for at the  beginning of the year.”

Even though students are disappointed about classes they sign up for getting cut, the staff in charge of scheduling does try to fulfill as many students’ requests as possible.

“Last year (2021-2022 school year) things were really really tight,” McKenna said. “Everything that is listed in the course catalogue is not necessarily going to run.” Some elective classes have such a specific audience of only a couple students each year that they have not been taught any of the four years I have been here. There are also classes that have many prerequisite classes, such as entrepreneurship, which requires two marketing classes before it.

Since not many students have not advanced past marketing one, let alone two, the entrepreneurship class has not been taught in recent years. Although it is frustrating when classes students want to take can not be taught, it is important to remember, as McKenna put it, “if they request it, we will find a way to offer it if we can.”