On January 16th, 2024, Decatur High School (DHS) announced the new bell schedule for the 2024-2025 school year. This slightly modified schedule requires students to take one additional class, making the total amount of classes eight instead of seven. Similar to the current schedule, students will still have “block days” (where all 8 classes are taught over 2 days) the first 4 days of the week with four 1.5-hour classes per day. This 8th class period differs from grade to grade. All 9th and 10th graders will take “Community/Service Learning,” and upperclassmen will take either “Tools for Success,” “Personal and Professional Skills”, or “Theory of Knowledge” (TOK). With the additional class period, class duration on Fridays will change from 45 minutes per class to 40 minutes. While one additional class will be budgeted into the schedule, students will still select only 7 courses during the course selection process. In addition, the different block days will be called either blue or gold days and class periods will be 1-4 labeled blue or gold.
The rationale behind this change is that currently, students spend 3.5 hours per week in non-funded classes (WIN, advisement, study hall). With this new change, all students will take a state-funded, and graded, 8th class that meets 3 times per week (on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). All 9th and 10th graders along with students enrolled in the independent diploma program will additionally have access to WIN time once a week.
Fiona Witek, a sophomore with high hopes for the new schedule said, “At first the schedule may be a bit of an adjustment, but I understand why they’re doing it and am looking forward to next year.”
