Revere High School (RHS) is implementing a Senior Option study hall policy to give students more flexibility and freedom in their schedule.
RHS is offering a scheduling feature known as Senior Option for the 2024-25 school year. If seniors have a study hall first or seventh period, they have the option to come in late or leave early, respectively. Seniors can only choose the Senior Option if they have a study hall first or seventh, and if they have a study hall both first and seventh, they can spend one off campus.
For student safety, seniors commit to either attending study hall or staying off campus, although some flexibility is possible. The logic behind the option is that allowing seniors some schedule freedom will help them prepare for their next, more independent stage of life.
Dr. Andy Peltz, Revere’s principal and main coordinator of the master schedule, explained the purpose of the Senior Option.
“A vast majority of our students are going to go to college, where they are not running by a typical bell schedule and they would have that ability to manage their own schedule. . . . This just would give them the flexibility to be a young adult and still finish up time here at Revere,” Peltz said.
Peltz explained that he has seen the benefit of a Senior Option at other schools.
“My daughter is a senior at Olmsted Falls and they have [Senior Option]. . . . She’s taking a CCP course, an AP course, a separate online course . . . and she is only able to do it because she has flexibility within her schedule,” Peltz said.
Elizabeth Long, one of RHS’s counselors, explained that as well as increased freedom and flexibility, there are some potential issues that may come along with a Senior Option.
“Some students may or may not be able to take advantage of the Senior Option if it doesn’t work in their schedules. Counselors will work with rising seniors individually to determine schedule preferences and resolve potential conflicts,” Long said.
Nicholas DePompei, another of RHS’s counselors, explained that safety might also be a concern. If students are leaving campus at different times throughout the day, it is harder to keep track of them. However, he also explained how Revere already has other opportunities to leave campus early.
The counselors will try to create schedules so the new Senior Option is available for as many people as possible.
“[We will] definitely try to keep out core classes from both of those. . . . There was an emphasis in the master schedule to make sure that certain things weren’t all loading into the first and the seventh period,” DePompei said.
He explained that Revere already has other policies that allow students more freedom in their schedules. Students who work can or are part of Revere’s Career Academy leave even earlier, and students who take CCP courses also have greater schedule flexibility.
“When Covid was going on, if students [had] a seventh period or first [period study hall] we were allowing them to [leave]. Senior Option took place during Covid without it being an official thing. . . . [This year] we were getting these case by case scenarios, [and thought] we might as well just open this up to all students,” DePompei said.
Long explained that the Senior Option creates more opportunities for seniors in their schedule, but it may not be for everyone.
“If a student knows that they work on their homework best at school during a study hall instead of at home, then they may not want to replace their study hall with Senior Option. Other seniors may wish to take additional electives during that time to explore specific courses before going to college or entering a career,” Long said.
Senior Option may not be a possibility for everyone depending on the classes they take and the number of credits they have, but for many, the Senior Option will be an opportunity for increased freedom.
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