Students plan course schedules for an uncertain school year

PHOTO: Davis High students have to submit their course requests online by March 8.

By Genna Olavarri,

BlueDevilHUB.com Editor–

Davis High students are currently facing a unique dilemma: how do you choose classes for next school year when no one is certain what next year will look like? 

Current sophomores and juniors must submit their course requests online by March 8 despite many unknowns regarding the 2021-22 school year. DHS head counselor Catherine Pereira told students to plan their schedule with the assumption that school will be open for fully in-person classes by the fall. 

“We are advising students to pick courses like they would for a typical school year. Maybe we’re being overly optimistic, but we’re hoping we’re back and in-person by the fall if not before,” Pereira said. “But we also let them know that life throws us a curveball sometimes.”

As of now, many of the decisions about next year have not been finalized and depend on the evolving state of the pandemic. 

“Given the trends, our plan is to open for full instruction,” said Joe DiNunzio, president of the Davis Joint Unified Board of Education.

However, according to DiNunzio, distance learning will remain an option for students who do not feel safe returning to campus. For now, it is not certain what that may entail. 

“I suspect there will be some families that will decide even with decreased community spread and with the availability of vaccines, that they’d like their students to stay in distance learning for next year […] so fully anticipate that we’re going to offer a distance learning option for those families that want it,” DiNunzio said. “We don’t know what that model is going to look like yet.”

In addition to coronavirus-related uncertainties, it remains unclear as to which schedule may be implemented for secondary schools in the district. 

Last summer, the district made the decision to move secondary schools to a quarter system during distance learning. It is undecided if the schools will continue with this schedule or revert back to a typical semester schedule with a seven-period day. 

Students and teachers alike are divided on the quarter schedule. 

“I would say most of the students that I’ve spoken with have felt fairly positive about [the quarter system] in helping manage their schedule. But there are definitely some students that preferred the old schedule of seven classes and the semester structure. […] I think it’s fair to say it’s not the favorite of everyone we’ve spoken with,” DiNunzio said. 

Sophomore Emma Brayton has mixed feelings about the current schedule. “The only reason that I like the quarter schedule is because we only have three classes at a time,” Brayton said. “[But then] we have to flip classes. […] It just really messes up with how I’m learning and what I’m learning.”

The schedule may not be finalized until sometime over the summer. According to DiNunzio, the district staff will prepare a recommendation to the board and the schedule will be decided sometime prior to the start of school.

Pereira believes that the unknown schedule may make it more challenging for some students to choose classes. 

“What it looks like next year will kind of dictate the kind of classes they want to take and so that does play into their decision,” Pereira said. “There’s a lot of uncertainty […] and unfortunately I don’t have any answer other than right now we’re planning on a one through seven [schedule] and, you know, just hope that it is.”

Current junior Tobey Kim prefers the quarter schedule, but the possibility of returning to the typical schedule has not impacted his course decisions. 

However, Kim knows that many of his sophomore friends are stressed about choosing classes that will best ease their transition to the high school.

“I’m not that concerned, but I know a lot of incoming juniors are really scared,” Kim said. “I know one of my friends asked how hard DHS is usually and I told him online school is way easier. [… My sophomore friends] ask a lot of questions because they have literally no idea what it’s like.”

Regardless of the schedule, current sophomores like Brayton will face that challenge next year. It will be the incoming juniors’ first time attending school on the DHS campus and many of them have never met a portion of their peers. 

“It’s going to be different going to school and being around different students. […] I only know like a third of them,” Brayton said. 

Despite the challenges and uncertainties about what lies ahead, a potential return to normalcy offers a light at the end of this very long tunnel. “I’m overall really excited. I have a lot of nerves about going back, but the excitement overtakes those nerves,” Brayton said.