As the new school year kicks into gear, so does the new schedule. Since the 2021-22 school year, the schedule has been on a rotating basis, as shown on the left below:
This year, the schedule is no longer rotating, as shown on the right. While the Monday schedule stays the same, Tuesdays and Thursdays are both 1st, 2nd, 3rd, then 4th, and Wednesdays and Fridays are 5th, 6th, 7th, then 8th.
“There are a few reasons we made the schedule change,” according to Mr. Joe Fox, the Director of Upper School. “The biggest reason is because we have multiple campuses, and transportation was an issue with the rotating schedule. Similarly, having a set structure helps the younger students.”
The new schedule has majorly improved the transportation to the IDEA Space, making it easier for the bus drivers to know how many students they need to have. Mr. Fox expands on this, saying, “Now, with this schedule, they know where they need to be when.”
While the new schedule was necessary, the greater majority of students disagreed with the change. Out of 72 students surveyed, 43 students preferred the old schedule, 25 students preferred the new schedule, and 4 had no preference.
Grade-Based Statistics
Freshmen
Breaking down the statistics by grade, the majority of the grades preferred the old schedule, with the freshmen being the exception. Out of the 23 freshmen surveyed, 12 liked the new schedule better. Only 9 would rather have last year’s schedule, with 2 freshmen stating they had no preference.
Sophomores
Changing sides, the sophomores, juniors, and seniors all liked the old schedule better. Out of 15 sophomores interviewed, only 4 students liked the new schedule, whereas 10 preferred the old schedule. Only 1 student had no preference.
Juniors
The Junior class had the most decisive opinion on the matter (despite the fact that only 11 students responded). Out of the 11 surveyed, a whopping one student liked the new schedule.
“The new schedule is just a lot less confusing,” explains Tyler Bauman ‘25, the sole junior who preferred the new schedule. “Having classes at the same time each day helps my organization and makes it easier to remember.”
The remaining 9 students preferred last year’s schedule, with only one person declaring no preference. Some students, like Ava Adams-Huang ‘25, have much stronger opinions on the matter, saying, “The new schedule needs to be burned and then the ashes need to be thrown into the sun.”
Seniors
Finally, the senior class agrees with the juniors and sophomores, saying that the old schedule is better. Out of the 23 students surveyed, only 8 seniors would rather have the current schedule, whereas the remaining 15 prefer the old schedule.
Faculty
On the other hand, the majority of Barstow’s faculty agrees with the new schedule. In a survey of 14 faculty members, 8 prefer the new schedule, whereas only 6 teachers prefer last year’s class schedule.
While most students prefer last year’s schedule, that may be due to a generalized opposition to change. Mr. Fox explains this, saying, “They [the students] have only been experiencing the new change for less than two full weeks. Anytime you have a change, you must let them fully experience it before asking about it.” This is likely why the freshmen are the only grade appreciating the new schedule, given that they are already experiencing a large enough change for the new schedule to be negligent.
As the year progresses, we shall see if the community’s opinions change. Regardless of personal preference, however, the change was necessary to ensure easy access to the IDEA Space.
