Times are changing at Sentinel High School. As the 2023-2024 school year wraps up, more is being revealed about what the next school year will look like for students and staff.
MCPS’s budget cuts have been the main culprit for change. As more was learned about the nature and effects of the budget cuts, Sentinelites became aware of just how much they would have to adapt. Particularly vexing was the reality that some teachers and classes would have to be let go at the beginning of next school year.
Although deciding what classes to eliminate was not a fun decision to make, it was a necessary one. Principal Stephanie Thennis has expressed the difficulty in making such decisions to the Spartan Scoop staff, saying that she understands how unpleasant the impact of the changes are on the staff and students.
Course requirements are a hot topic for next year. As of now, it seems that things will mostly stay the same, with Freshman, Sophomores, and Juniors being required to take a minimum of 7 classes and Seniors a minimum of 5. There was some speculation that this might have been up to change, but after speaking to Senior Counselor Katie Kirgan and Junior Counselor Aaron Shattuck, this speculation was put to rest as the two affirmed that the requirements would be the same as last year. As of now, it seems that things will mostly stay the same
Course requirements are imperative to help teachers fill their rosters. By removing the option to take fewer classes, teachers can avoid the risk of not having enough students to teach.
The number of students in class is of great importance because it can decide whether or not a class will be offered again in upcoming school years. For example, English teachers usually have class sizes ranging from 24-30 students, as 30 is the state maximum for Montana. If the number of sign-ups for an English class were to dip significantly below 24 students, there is a chance that it would be considered for elimination due to the recent budget cuts.
However, next year’s class sizes are yet undecided. When asked if there was any certainty to how big classes are expected to be next year, Aaron Shattuck replied, “Not that I know of. I think since we haven’t run the loader yet we really don’t know where those numbers lie.”
The ‘loader’ that Shattuck refers to is Infinite Campus, Sentinel’s grading website and scheduling system. When it comes time to run the loader, the number of students enrolled at Sentinel and the classes that they signed up for will largely determine class sizes.
Another part of scheduling that hasn’t changed, despite some uncertainty, is the way in which Sentinel students can add and drop classes. At the beginning of each semester, students will have 5 days to add classes to their schedules and 10 days to drop them.
The maintaining of this system benefits students who want to explore elective classes by giving them the option to drop the class if they find it unsatisfactory.
Altogether, there are few changes being made to scheduling, and little has been confirmed about class size. In these areas, next school year should feel similar to this school year.
