Beech Tree News Network

Should the freshmen class of 2012-2013 be on a block schedule( four one and a half hour classes) or a seven-period day( seven 45-minute classes)? That was the debate in a called meeting of the Butler County High School Site-Based Decision Making Council on Thursday, May 10.

According to Principal Patrick O'Driscoll, Mrs. Rebecca Rose, counselor, is unable to make a schedule for the 2012-2013 school year that allows the freshmen to be on a seven-period day and the rest of the high school to maintain the block schedule. The exact problem was not clear, if the problem was the sharing two teachers between Butler County Middle School and BCHS, or the scheduling of math classes.

BCHS Math teachers Lisa Rhoades, Angie Arnold, and Katie Flener were in attendance. 

"For the student, peroids are the best, the block is hard," said Rhoades. She explained, "A freshmen could have math the first semester of their freshman year and not again until January of their sophomore year on the block schedule."

 According to the math teachers, they feel a student needs math class everyday, all year long.

"The block prompts laziness," said Rhoades.

"I see it the other way, periods are too much for students to keep up with when they can't remember to bring a pencil to class," said Stacha Murphy, business teacher and SBDM member. "I have taught freshmen for years and years in the block and don't think anything about it."

"This problem is created by the sharing two teachers, we (BCHS) need more funding," said Rhoda Chism, parent member of SBDM.

With several questions about the scheduling unclear after a lengthy discussion, a motion was made by Dennis Robbins and seconded by Rhoda Chism to table this decision until more information can be presented.  Chism, Robbins, and Darryl Dockery voted in favor, Murphy abstained, and O'Driscoll voted against.

There will be a second special-called meeting of the BCHS SBDM Council on Monday, May 14, 2012 at 4:30 p.m. in the BCHS Media Center to continue discussion of changing the freshmen schedule for school year 2012-2013.