by Ryan. F.

The Alamo Heights Junior School schedule is probably something you don’t think about often. But when you take a closer look, it becomes clear that it’s both interesting and complex. According to the Texas Education Agency, students are required to attend school for 75,600 minutes each year.

When asked about a block schedule, where students attend different classes on alternating days, Dr. Guthrie explained that it is not effective. “Students need instruction every day, and they build off of each lesson. So a block schedule would not be effective,” he said.

Later ending times for school days also present challenges, especially for extracurricular activities. “You don’t want school to end at 5 when the other schools you’re playing get out at 4,” Dr. Guthrie noted. Start times, on the other hand, are largely influenced by the number of buses a district has and ensuring all students arrive on time. Fortunately, Alamo Heights has enough buses to meet its needs, so this is not a concern for the district.

Dr. Guthrie also emphasized the importance of study hall, known as “Kick Time,” if students use it wisely. “If the student just plays games and doesn’t organize and study, it is pointless,” he said.

The current junior school schedule has been in place for three years, and it doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon.