By Dakota Gunnare, Current Staff
Fiona Shaw, a senior at West Bend East High School, enjoys spending her lunch hour with friends at a local restaurant.
This rest and relaxation helps Shaw get through the day, and it’s all thanks to a new extended-release program for juniors and seniors at the West Bend High Schools.
The expansion, which went into effect Sept. 26, allows students to be released if they have two adjacent study halls or a study hall adjacent to lunch. Former interim principal Dr. Randy Daul proposed this policy to allow students to make better use of their time. This is the first time since the 1970s that WBHS students have had a taste of the open campus model.
“It’s really refreshing to be able to take a break from school and to be able to get outside during the day,” Shaw said.
The idea for the junior and senior release began last spring, when Daul noticed large groups of students just sitting in the cafeteria.
“It seemed a very unproductive time,” he said. “When I asked further questions I found out that it was a time that was not valued, we were not valuing the students’ time. I had it in the back of my mind that that was something we could look at.”
This new policy was brought to fruition through the office working with the student council to craft a policy that would work best for everyone.
“They probably changed more and assisted more than any other group I brought this to,” Daul said.
Traditionally the student council hasn’t worked on policy matters, but going forward Daul would like them to be more involved in school decisions.
“I think it’s a great idea,” said Mckenna Orth, student council vice president and East sophomore. “Having students’ input will help the policies become more reasonable to students and staff.”
Students should contact their counselors for more information about their eligibility for the extended-release program. Eligibility is evaluated case by case by counselors based on things like good grades and attendance records.
“If they’ve shown they can manage their time responsibly, why keep them here?,” Daul said.
(Top image: The West Bend West High School main entrance. Photo taken today by Dakota Gunnare, Current Staff.)
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