As students begin to settle into their new classes for the second semester, they are also settling into their new routes walking to and from each class. With only 6 minutes to get from one class to the next, and many students having to walk from the mods to far away parts of the building, staff at PCNN decided to investigate one pressing question: Do students really have enough time to get to class?

One aspect of the question at hand is the lengthy routes students take between classrooms. PCNN interviewers found that many students have extreme routes across campus – some have to walk the distance of the third floor to the mods in just 6 minutes. One student says, “I think that we don’t get enough time – because, some of us have to walk from one side of the school all the way to the other and I think we are deserving of at least a little bit more time.” Student testimony has also shown that this short time interval is significantly worsened by the amount of crowding in the hallways. “There’s mad people in the hallway… they walk so slow, and it’s annoying,” says another student, Reggie.

The effects of long routes and crowding have had a negative impact on many students, and are compounded by the fact that the tardy policy has become more strict this year. Teachers are now required to punish students by referring them to lunch detention after 6 tardies. Also, teachers now input tardies into Powerschool at their own discretion; which is a change from  last year’s policy in which students would receive tardies at the “Tardy Table” that would be input by the attendance office. This has led to uneven tardy enforcement across campus. One student says in regards to getting a tardy, “It depends on the teacher. Some teachers do, some teachers don’t [give out tardies].” Another students says, “I do often get tardies – coming from the third floor to the mods, and my teachers are not lenient at all. If I’m a step away from the door they’re still going to mark me, and I feel like they need to change that at least a little bit.” He also said that he “absolutely does not” have enough time to go to the bathroom between class. “I have to book it straight to my class every time.”

Based on these interviews, it’s clear that some students certainly do not have enough time to get to class, whether it’s because of crowding, long routes, or having to use the restroom. Should PCHS administrators sacrifice class time in favor of more time for class transitions, and would such a change reduce tardies? It’s hard to say. Regardless of the solution the school comes to, PCNN wishes students the best of luck in settling in to their new routes.