The removal of electives, some favored by high school students and some not, has left students wondering why this change was implemented at the beginning of the school year.

As a result of these removals, students find themselves in study halls, and for some, this means having more than three study halls to fill the empty gaps in their schedules.

Senior Sam Ellenburger remarked on the situation, saying, “Because there are so many empty blocks in schedules, they fill them up with study halls.”

It’s not just upperclassmen nearing graduation who are affected; underclassmen who wanted to take electives are impacted as well.

The question arises: why is this happening? Mrs. Freeman, one of the guidance counselors, explained, “We have to look at our staff and the number of students who have core classes. If there are spots left, we consider student interest.”

While not many classes were removed from the list of electives, a significant portion came from the agriculture science department.

“Some AG classes, poetry, MythBusters,” explained Mrs. Freeman. “They are due to alternating years.”

Various factors may explain these removals, with popularity and a need for teachers in core classes being the most significant ones. 

Also, it should be noted that the removal of electives wasn’t determined through a vote but was based on available space and each incoming group of students. Even if classes were reintroduced, there’s no guarantee they would regain their previous popularity.

“It could be due to a lack of popularity or space availability; the department decides which electives to offer,” said Mrs. Freeman. “It sometimes just depends on the group of kids. 

“Mostly, it’s just based on what we can run.”