Franklin BOE Votes to Keep High School’s Block Scheduling

Franklin County High School will continue on the block schedule when the new core building opens in the fall.

At their regular meeting last week, the school board heard from school superintendent Dr. Ruth O’Dell who  recommended the school continue with the block program, after reviewing research conducted by a special high school subcommittee.

“Without reservation, I recommend we remain on the block schedule,” O’Dell said. “It’s a new day. I wasn’t particularly passionate with the block schedule when we started it three years ago, but it is a new day. When I see the rigor that we have got to do, we’ve got to have opportunity for kids who don’t come with the advantages, who don’t come with the vocabulary. It is going to take a lot more on our parts to get our kids ready for college and career readiness.” 

O’Dell gave the high school subcommittee credit for doing a thorough job researching the pro’s and con’s of the block scheduling program.  She told the board students have more choices under the block program versus a traditional seven period system.

Franklin County High School has an enrollment of 1,100 students, but fewer teachers than surrounding high schools. O’Dell said the block system will allow students to fit in more electives and also participate in dual enrollment with local colleges.

O’Dell noted high school today is much different than it used to be.

“You can’t really divide high school into four grades anymore,” she said. “Kids are all over the place in different grades. They don’t just evenly divide into four grades as easily as they did in elementary. A lot of courses are divided into a sequence. If the student takes two in the sequence and we don’t provide a third or we don’t provide a second sequence, then we don’t allow that child to continue in that pathway.”

Before taking a vote, school board chair Joe Greene however, said his research showed there was not a significant difference in test scores for students on a block schedule versus a 7-period schedule.  But board member Robin Cato said the block schedule will allow more students to finish high school.

“We’ve got to keep it where they can have the option to finish school and at the same time have the opportunity to really learn something when they’re in those classes,” she said. 

Cato pointed out the dual-enrollment aspect of scheduling is most important to high school students. On a regular seven-period schedule, students would not have enough time to get to the college, take the class, and return to the high school.

“Dual enrollment is essential,” she said. “It gets the kids in college and maybe they’ll stay.”

After a brief discussion, the board voted 4-0 to approve the block schedule system with a review each year on how well it’s working for the students.  Board member Pam Stone was absent.