Due to budget cuts, the school removed late buses. This affected Academic Wednesdays, which played a role in the success of many athletes.
According to Principal Lloyd Turner, the decision was made with students’ best interest in mind. There are no longer late buses for students to ride after school.
“Now the way things are, especially with transportation and not having late buses, it’s like a domino effect,” Turner said. “Everything impacts the other; what we have now, the a.m. and p.m., Monday through Thursday , just allows more flexibility.”
Turner agrees Academic Wednesdays had value and purpose for the school, but he is optimistic about the new schedule. He says athletes are no longer being put into a box; they have the ability to choose between morning and afternoon tutorials.
“[Students] aren’t limited to just one day a week,” Turner said. “Because maybe that one day a week, that specific teacher that they need, maybe they’re not available; maybe they’re not there.”
Although there may have been good intent behind the changes, many students are upset about the discontinuation of Academic Wednesdays. Junior Madison King, a softball player, has concerns regarding the new system.
“[Our coaches] want us to be on all A-honor roll,” King said. “Taking away Academic Wednesdays won’t allow me to go to tutoring because then I’d have to choose between academics and practice when I want to do both.”
She also says morning tutorials simply don’t work for her. She believes she learns best later in the day because she needs time to wake her brain up in the mornings.
“[I’m concerned about] waking up to get there when the doors open,” King said. “My brain is not fully awake and I’m not fully awake, so it’s harder for me to retain information.
King is not the only one concerned about balancing academics and extracurriculars. Junior Madalyn Hardy, who is on the cheer team as well as a part of the band, is worried that she won’t have time to prioritize classwork.
“I’m not going to have enough time to finish my assignments at home,” Hardy said. “I get home at 9 every night.”
In previous years, Hardy used her access to Academic Wednesdays at least every other week. She worries that her grades will not be as high this year.
“I think my grades are going to lower,” Hardy said. “I’m not going to be able to have a full understanding of what I’m learning.”
With everything that Hardy has to prioritize, she is also grappling with the loss of her free time. She spends more time looking at school work than making memories.
“[I have to study at home more] because I don’t have the time to do it during tutorials,” Hardy said. “I don’t get to spend time with my friends.”
Hardy has also overheard many of her friends complaining about no longer having Academic Wednesdays. They are all agreeing that they miss having the allotted time to study.
“They have to miss more rehearsal for tutorials,” Hardy said. “Last year, it was just a designated spot for them to have.”
In addition to the student concerns, coaches also fear that there may be a shift in performance with the policy change. Clif Bond, the head softball coach and head freshman gold football coach, was one of the many coaches who had to adjust to the change.
“I thought Academic Wednesdays were good,” Bond said. “It was a time that everyone knew they could go to tutorials if they needed to.”
Bond says he has noticed differences in his athlete’s behavior after the loss of Academic Wednesdays. He says that his teams are all aware of the possibility of missing practice time.
“Most of the softball athletes are pretty good at time management with practice and grades,” Bond said. “[Because of this,] so far this year we have not had to make adjustments.”
The loss of Academic Wednesdays is taking its toll on many athletes, and they are now having to prioritize their time in new ways. Principal Turner summed it up best.
“Once we are looking at grades in that first marking period, we can see just where we are in terms of academic data,” Turner said. “That will be telling.”
