Normally, this enrollment process takes place in February, so the meeting just four days into the semester comes as a bit of a shock to teachers and students alike. However, RBHS Guidance Director Betsy Jones said the extra time to plan for next year’s classes is necessary with the opening of Battle High School and the influx of freshmen in August.
“This year we moved it up an entire month because we’re staffing new schools,” Jones said. “So the secondary reorganization and the hiring that has to take place, adding freshmen to the high school, opening a new high school, the building principals needed an early start on the hiring process to attract the best candidates as well. … But [the early scheduling is] also to help with the master schedule, because it’s going to be so different with having freshmen and opening a new high school.”
Despite the logic behind the upping of the scheduling process, some students are worried about their ability to choose their courses next year with so much time still left in this school year. Sophomore Sonia Clark is unsettled by the idea of having to pick her junior courses when she is only halfway through her current ones.
“I feel really uncomfortable because I feel like I’m not prepared to know what I’m going to take because it’s just starting second semester,” Clark said. “I am not ready for this.”
While students will have the classic courses to choose from, such as Chemistry and U.S. Studies, they will also be able to pick from a selection of new options. RBHS counselor Jordan Alexander said there will be new offerings in science, social studies and language arts. However, students may have to find a form of transportation to get to those classes.
“We have many new offerings throughout the district; some of those are building specific,” Alexander said. “For example, there is a Genetics course that is available at, I believe at Battle and also at Hickman, and then we have courses like Oceanography which are offered here but not at those schools. So students should be able to sign up for courses that they want even if it’s not at the school — obviously transportation issues can come into play — but we do have new offerings next year at all high school buildings.”
By Alyssa Sykuta
Additional reporting by Ashleigh Atasoy
This is part of the Preparing for Battle ongoing special report. For more information on the changes occurring, check Bearing News biweekly for a transition update.Sophomores and juniors – do you feel like you’re ready to pick classes? Which ones are you looking forward to next year?
