On Monday, Oct. 19, 2020, the school board for the School District of Washington made a new hybrid plan for the secondary schools that are not already going five days a week. With this new plan, there are many benefits compared to the previous plan for high school.

For this new hybrid plan, it was decided that starting Monday, Oct. 26, the secondary school students will begin switching their daily attendance week-to-week, starting with the ‘A’ day students going Monday, Oct. 26 and Wednesday, Oct. 28. The ‘B’ day students will attend on the opposite days of the ‘A’ students. Then, it all starts over again the next week.

This will be more beneficial to our students because it will give them more time to consult with their teachers. The ‘Zoom Wednesdays’ that we were having were pointless. I wasn’t learning anything in those classes, and the majority of them were busy work and simple note-taking.

As a high school student, I believe that the more in-person days the better. I am a student who does better with in-person, hands-on learning. From being a student who typically doesn’t have problems excelling in school, these plans that the board has made for the school district haven’t been perfect. However, we are all living in uncertainty, which is why it is important for all of us to consider everyone’s opinions. Obviously, there are many factors to consider when making a decision like this. 

The things that many people are tired of hearing in this time is ‘now more than ever’ is something necessary, so I’m not going to sugar coat it. However, I do think that these decisions are very important to make. For me, I am not a person who likes making big decisions.

The bad parts of this decision that the board has made involves that which the students, parents and staff are already predicting how confusing this new schedule will be. With switching daily, it is almost like the district is having split custody over the ‘A’ and ‘B’ day students.

Not only that, but this will also contribute to how we have all gotten better, as a whole. Teachers, students and parents have gotten used to how the original hybrid plan works, and now we are bringing in an entirely new one. For the students who work, as I do, it’s getting confusing already to explain to my manager and Human Resources Manager that I only go to school part of the week, and now I am switching days every week.

Although this plan has some mixed emotions, it will be for the best and the school board is doing the best they can to keep us all safe. Like we were all once taught, you can’t make everyone happy, and the school board realizes that. However, they are doing their best to keep the students and staff of the district safe.

There are so many other things that we have that will probably not work and some things that will go smoothly in this plan, but all we can do is make the best of these situations.