After nine years full of conversations about the hypothetical “8 Period Day”, the new schedule will be introduced for the 2025-2026 school year.
While classes will be cut from 55 minutes on average to 48 minutes, the current start and end times will stay at 7:05-2:10. This means that after-school sports and clubs will still occur at their usual times.
The 8 period day aims to open up student’s schedules, allowing them to take more elective courses that suit their interests.
Many students, especially underclassmen, have specific classes that they must take to graduate. The mandatory 4 years of English, at least 3 years of math and science, and at least 2 years of social studies and foreign languages/arts tends to prohibit students from taking elective courses that may better coincide with their career of choice.
“I think it’s going to help our kids learn more skills. It’s going to help them enjoy school more because they’re taking classes they want to take. It’s a win-win,” said Principal Chris Chlebek.
Out of 42 survey-takers, 25 support the 8 period day and 27 are looking forward to fitting an elective class into their schedule for next year. Many students are excited to be able to explore future career paths, even before they go to college.
“I think people will benefit from electives much more and be able to explore classes that peak their interest for careers,” freshman Ana Alexopoulos said.

Another possible positive aspect of the 8 Period day is the shorter class periods. Attention spans are rapidly dropping, with the average human attention span clocking in at around 47 seconds, as seen in a study by the American Psychological Association. With class periods being shortened by 7 minutes, some believe students will be able to gain more from their classes.

“I think a 48 minute class period is more appropriate, especially now that most people’s attention spans have become shorter. I think it’s going to be easier to stay engaged in classes,” said Creative Arts Chair, Robert McGahey.

However, not all aspects of the 8 period day have been appreciated. For some, it feels as if the new schedule was introduced suddenly, and this drastic change can cause a level of anxiety for both students and teachers alike.

“It could be positive, it could be negative, but it just feels like things accelerated very quickly without much prelude…anytime there’s unknown variables, it definitely increases anxiety, especially with planning,” said Rhetoric teacher, Adam Depew.

Another possible positive aspect of the 8 period day is the shorter class periods. Attention spans are rapidly dropping, with the average human attention span clocking in at around 47 seconds, as seen in a study by the American Psychological Association. With class periods being shortened by 7 minutes, some believe students will be able to get more out of their classes.
“I think a 48 minute class period is more appropriate, especially now that most people’s attention spans have become shorter. I think it’s going to be easier to stay engaged in classes,” Creative Arts Chair Robert McGahey said.
However, not all aspects of the 8 period day have been appreciated. For some, it feels as if the new schedule was introduced suddenly, and this drastic change can cause a level of anxiety for both students and teachers alike.
“It could be positive, it could be negative, but it just feels like things accelerated very quickly without much prelude…anytime there’s unknown variables, it definitely increases anxiety, especially with planning,” rhetoric teacher Adam Depew said.
Either way, it seems that the common consensus for administration and teachers alike, is that the 8 period day aims to open up more opportunities for students to explore all sorts of professions.
“It’s an opportunity for kids to know that there’s something out there for everybody,” Chlebek said.