Sammy Lane

Starting in the 2024-2025 school year, new guidance rules have caused a disturbance within the student body. These rules include: no intentionally booking double studies, dropping an elective the student chose or dropping a class without a valid reason.
Guidance explained why they created these new rules.
“We faced [last year] a lot of challenges with the amount of schedule changes allowed. In the first week of school, there was a steady stream of students who came to change their schedule choices,” said director of school counseling, Kendra Cantrell.
Guidance staff members enforced the new rules in hopes of limiting the hundreds of students dropping classes.
“It takes months and months [before schedules come out] creating the master schedule with all the department heads and balancing class sizes. Then all the sudden we have sections of six and 28 students for the same class,” said Cantrell.
Students have expressed how they feel about the new rules and have mixed opinions.
“I think it’s pretty justified. However, there are some rules, such as no more booking intentional double studies that I think they should change or reconstruct,” said senior Jessie Yahres.
He has not had any concerns regarding the guidance rules but some of his friends have.
“I personally have no issues [regarding the new rules] but my friends complain about the rules saying it’s unfair,” said Yahres.
Some students have been more in favor of the rules.
“I can completely understand where guidance is coming from, but there are some things they should fix,” said senior Jordan D’Amelio. “I think the rules about not being able to choose your double study or be in your friends classes should stay but the academic rules should be changed around a little.”
Some students believe seniors deserve more personal choice.
“I think as seniors we should have a lot more freedom in decision making,” said senior Mitchell DeStratis.
He still agrees these rules have been helping out.
“Don’t get me wrong, I think the rules are a little annoying but I can see where guidance is coming from and I think for the initial year they are doing a good job,” said DeStratis.
Some students have been very upset by these changed schedules.
“I’m mad. Last spring we didn’t know anything about any of these classes. Now that we finally know what the classes entail, we cannot change out if we don’t like them,” said senior Julia Jaslowich.
Junior Gavin Farmer does not like the rules at all.
“I personally think that they are pretty unjust and I have had my fair share of experience dealing with guidance,” said Farmer.
He has been in full agreement for changing the new rules.
“I think the rules need to be a lot more balanced and personally they don’t make sense to me,” said Farmer.
The underclassmen do not feel the same about the new rules.
“I think the rules make sense and that they are acceptable,” said sophomore Natalie Bennett.
She believes there must be a reason for all the changes.
“Guidance definitely has enough reasoning for putting these rules together and I think it’s helping out the students,” said Bennett.
Freshman Ava Nguyen has been more outspoken about the rules.
“I think students should be able to choose and re-choose the electives they picked,” said Nguyen.
Nguyen believes her grade deserves more options.
“I personally think they shouldn’t have these rules in place and that ninth graders should get more of a say because we didn’t really know much about our elective classes until this year,” Nyugen said.
Sarah Lefebrve is one of the teachers of Dystopian Literature.
“With the new regulations, there are so many fewer students switching in and out. It’s nice to be able to start the curriculum right away,” said Lefebrve.
This year, Lefebrve has noticed a huge decrease in students switching classes.
“I only lost one or two students overall all my [Dystopian Literature] classes,” said Lefebrve. “In years prior, I would lose six or seven kids.”
The new rules prevent students from schedule changes deemed as unnecessary, such as creating double studies, teacher shopping, or getting into a friend’s class.
“Students can still get a change for core class levels, double booked classes or gaps in a schedule,” said Cantrell.