Release Time: FOR. SENIORS. ONLY.
By Rachel Hirst
November 22, 2017
By Rachel Hirst
November 22, 2017
“You’re so lucky you have release time, I wish I could have it too,” says underclassmen. Leaving school is always a great feeling, especially when it’s early. Release time is one of my favorite parts of the day and it is even more fun when all your friends have it too. Having release time as a senior is the best feeling, getting your schedule on the first day of school realizing you can come in late or leave early. Everyone wants to be able to leave school early, right?
After interviewing sources throughout the school I discovered the reasons why underclassmen can and can’t have release time. “I think it’s great, especially if they have a job and it fits their schedule” says counselor Mr. Combi. Although there are many pros to having this fit your schedule, many cons follow. “The age of the students plays a huge factor, and there is a school law that a student has to attend school for a certain number of hours until they are 17,” added Combi.
Along with the age of the student most underclassmen have to have up to seven credits, and as a senior you only need six and a half. It may seem that the cons outweigh the pros, but Mr. Combi said, “Certain students can benefit.” I also got the chance the ask him if students would be able to leave the building to get food and he said, “It sounds like a great idea to students, but one of the reasons students can’t do that is because they would be unsupervised.” Underclassmen may not have FREE LUNCH now, but in the future things may change. When talking to upperclassmen I found out most of them believe it’s a good thing that underclassmen don’t have it. We as seniors have waited until now to get release time and believe it’s right that they wait too. Leaving the building like that is a privilege and nobody wants it taken away.
Nearby schools with release time include Mars, Pine Richland, and Peters Township. Students from these schools who were interviewed by The Hamptonian believe that underclassmen should wait until senior year to receive release time. It’s only fair, they say.
The same rules apply to other schools just like ours. The students remain anonymous, but when they talked to their student counselors and even some teachers, it was the same answer. Therefore, release time will remain for seniors only.
After interviewing sources throughout the school I discovered the reasons why underclassmen can and can’t have release time. “I think it’s great, especially if they have a job and it fits their schedule” says counselor Mr. Combi. Although there are many pros to having this fit your schedule, many cons follow. “The age of the students plays a huge factor, and there is a school law that a student has to attend school for a certain number of hours until they are 17,” added Combi.
Along with the age of the student most underclassmen have to have up to seven credits, and as a senior you only need six and a half. It may seem that the cons outweigh the pros, but Mr. Combi said, “Certain students can benefit.” I also got the chance the ask him if students would be able to leave the building to get food and he said, “It sounds like a great idea to students, but one of the reasons students can’t do that is because they would be unsupervised.” Underclassmen may not have FREE LUNCH now, but in the future things may change. When talking to upperclassmen I found out most of them believe it’s a good thing that underclassmen don’t have it. We as seniors have waited until now to get release time and believe it’s right that they wait too. Leaving the building like that is a privilege and nobody wants it taken away.
Nearby schools with release time include Mars, Pine Richland, and Peters Township. Students from these schools who were interviewed by The Hamptonian believe that underclassmen should wait until senior year to receive release time. It’s only fair, they say.
The same rules apply to other schools just like ours. The students remain anonymous, but when they talked to their student counselors and even some teachers, it was the same answer. Therefore, release time will remain for seniors only.