During the 2024-25 school year, each day of the week (except for half-days every other week) lasted from 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The schedule was fairly consistent, which meant that days were predictable and my after-school activities were scheduled around the calendar. Currently, in the 2025-26 school year, Monday-Thursday run from 7:40 a.m. to 3:25 p.m., with every Friday ending early at 1:20 p.m.
This new schedule has noticeably changed my routine for the better. As a band student, I now have more free time on Fridays in the fall between school pep rallies and football games. The earlier Friday release allows me to relax and catch up on homework, so I feel less rushed, which has improved my freshman year.
While last year’s half-day Fridays had an earlier release time of 12:30 p.m., I find that having consistent early release Fridays this year still encourages me to stay on top of my assignments while also having more time for myself overall. The schoolwork assigned tends to increase before spring break, making the extra time on Fridays useful.
Another schedule change between 2024-25 and 2025-26 is moving breakfast from its time between first and second periods for 15 minutes to before first period starts at first period. Some say that having breakfast before school is unnecessary and doesn’t allow students to eat a proper meal, but I don’t mind whether breakfast is before or after first period. I always arrive at around 7:15 a.m., and even if I happen to be late, breakfast is available on a rack in the foyer with a variety of snacks, including cereal, applesauce, muffins, dried fruit, and more. Though I’m not always craving dried apple first thing in the morning, having easy access to the most important meal of the day as I walk to first period is convenient for me, no matter when I show up for school.
With that being said, this new calendar and schedule have improved from last year’s. The addition of more Friday early releases and breakfast not getting in the way between first and second period has made each day go by smoothly, allowing me to be less stressed out during hectic parts of the year. The schedule is not flawed and should stay the same next year.
