Recently, the talk of the town has been the District 203 discussions about switching to block scheduling starting next 2026-2027 school year. This has caused many to wonder if block scheduling or traditional scheduling is better.
With block scheduling, students have fewer classes per day, but each period lasts approximately the length of two “normal” periods. There are two ways block scheduling can be done. The first option is 4×4 block scheduling, where students take four classes during semester one and then four different classes during semester two. The second option is alternating block scheduling (the more common option), where students take eight classes, four on A days and the other four on B days. Block scheduling has been incorporated into schools recently due to its many benefits. With longer class periods, teachers have more time to delve into the curriculum, run labs, and assess students with tests and quizzes. Having four classes a day also allows for less daily homework, giving students more time to study. Senior Oresta Holubec says she believes block scheduling allows students to get more rest. This is especially beneficial for student-athletes and students involved in the arts, many of whom often stay at school until very late. Oresta said she believes Benet should definitely implement block scheduling.
Looking at only the benefits of block scheduling may cause people to wonder why Benet doesn’t switch over. The answer is simply that though block scheduling comes with many benefits, it also has many challenges. Studies have proven that the average attention span of a high school student ranges from 10-15 minutes. Therefore, block scheduling would require a student to pay attention for almost six times longer than their natural attention span. If a student were to miss a day of school with traditional scheduling, they would miss forty-five minutes of class and be able to speak to the teacher the following day about what was missed. However, with block scheduling, a student absent one day would miss ninety minutes of class and possibly be unable to speak to the teacher in person for two days, making it much easier to fall behind.
An important step in deciding if block scheduling is right for a school is to hear the opinions of the students. After interviewing Benet students regarding their opinions on block scheduling, it was determined that block scheduling is not the right choice for Benet at this time. Tessa Data, a sophomore, said she would hate block scheduling because she hates the idea of going to class for over an hour and thinks the schedule would become confusing or disorganized. She also generally appreciates having each class every day.
Ultimately, each school must weigh the pros and cons and decide what is the best choice for their students, faculty, and staff. While block scheduling may be in Benet’s future, right now traditional scheduling is working out just fine.
