By MIKE NORRIS

Staff writer

Marion High School currently operates on a block schedule that rotates each day.

Each student has two block classes every day that last approximately 80 minutes, followed by four daily classes in the afternoon.

MHS principal Brenda Odgers discussed Monday with Marion/Florence USD 408 board of education the possibility of going to a seven-hour daily schedule for the 2009-10 school year.

Classes would begin at 8:20 a.m. and end at 3:28 p.m. Each class would be approximately 50 minutes with a 25-minute lunch and seminar periods in the middle of the day.

Odgers said the change would lead to more student contact per week, an easier way for students to make up missed work, and two lunch hours, instead of the current one.

Odgers also said classes on block scheduling do not cover as much as classes on a daily schedule.

In a survey of MHS teachers Odgers said 10 are in favor of a seven-hour daily schedule, seven approve of the block, and three are indifferent.

The principal said 97 percent of students surveyed wanted block scheduling because of less homework, a chance to eat with their friends because of the one lunch period, and elective classes.

If the school were to move back to a daily schedule, only seven classes would be offered opposed to the current eight. Odgers did say there was a possibility to add a zero hour from 7:30-8:15 a.m.

If a student were a bus-rider, he or she would have to find a way to get to school at 7:30 a.m. because the bus routes would not change.

Louis Holt, a junior at MHS, was in attendance. He said he spoke for most of the students, including Ryan Jones, Chris Guetersloh, and Justin Herzet, all of whom attended.

“Most of the students I have talked to really, really prefer the eight-hour schedule,” Holt said.

USD 408 Superintendent Lee Leiker asked Holt to clarify what he meant by the eight-hour schedule.

Holt said his freshman year the school had block scheduling in the morning, daily in the afternoon, and a full, daily schedule on Fridays.

He preferred that because it was a mix of scheduling and he was able to have seminar, similar to a study hall, at the end of the day. He and other students would then not miss a class if they had to leave early for a sport or activity.

The current proposal would make seminar mandatory at either 11:01-11:26 a.m. or 11:28-11:53 a.m.

Leiker thanked everyone who spoke at the meeting and said more discussion would take place.