Story by Katie Britton-Mehlisch.
With the start of the new school year, West has adapted the schedule to accommodate for all students in Titan Time. Last year students traveling to Summit Technology Academy in the afternoon were not able to partake in tutoring since their fifth hour was not on West’s campus. This year Titan Time has been moved to after third hour, this simple fixed has not necessarily made things easier for teachers or Summit Tech students.
English teacher Jennifer Hauck has three students that leave her fourth hour IB English 12 class at least twenty minutes each day. The International Baccalaureate classes are some of the most rigorous courses offered at West.
“Unfortunately it is going to be challenging for them to keep up because if they do leave at the allotted time, they will miss seventy seven minutes of class time every week,” said Hauck.
Students that are taking classes at Summit Tech and IB courses have a heavy enough workload as it is without leaving class early.
Some students feel as though the time frame given to travel to Summit Tech is unrealistic.
“It takes me about fifteen minutes to get to get to Summit Tech since there is usually traffic, and about five to ten minutes to get to get into the building, which leaves me no time to eat,” said senior Lyndsey Holman. Students often have to eat in their car on the way or eat in their class if the teacher allows it.
There are some teachers at West, like Hauck, that allow their students to leave at 11:12 in order to get to class on time. Other teachers have not been as flexible and students said they don’t always feel they can leave the course they are in early.
“I am in a College Prep Math and I feel like I would miss too much everyday by leaving early and I don’t want to fall behind,” said Holman.
With these concerns it can be hard to find a happy medium. Assistant Principal Frank Honn said “that no matter where we put Titan Time there will be some sort of conflict.”
The way the schedule is set up just happens to be the best solution. Since all three Lee’s Summit high schools and Summit Technology Academy follow different schedules it is nearly impossible to avoid having conflict.
“Summit Tech has always worked with us on any scheduling issues and we adjust as needed,” said Honn.
