LAST YEAR, Flex Time was ever-changing. At different times in the year, flex time was held during lunch, only on Fridays, or even occurring over multiple weekdays. Many students had differing opinions on the changes being made. Some preferred certain schedules to others. 

For instance, some students liked flex time held over lunch. That way, those with free flex had an hour lunchtime. Josh Rodriguez (10) says he felt as though having a longer lunch propelled him through the day. “I liked lunchtime flex because I got more time during the day to take a break from school, go eat, or be with my friends,” Rodriguez said. By using this schedule, Lancers felt they had more control over their school day. 

While Lancers liked having lunchtime flex, it proved difficult for administrators to keep track of the many students who had free time. This was a contributing motivation to why the schedule changed last year. 

Following the change, the flex Friday schedule was put into effect. Students liked this schedule because having a free flex meant an extra late start. Classes would’ve started at as late as 9:00 a.m. Of all the schedules, this one was the easiest to understand and provided the least conflict with GTI or other class activities. 

The later introduction of having flex multiple times throughout the week left students feeling overwhelmed. However, the Friday schedule allowed students to eat a bigger breakfast, turn in homework, or even sleep in. Students felt that, with this schedule, they could start the day off right. 

Brandon Ruiz (10) says he liked being able to sleep in when he was caught up in his classes. Sometimes, however, he’d use the extra time to make up missing assignments or do his homework. As a result of the extra time, students were independently responsible for their own learning. They had to take accountability and decide what course of action would be best for them. 

By adjusting flex time to being every weekday, students had more time throughout the week instead of a large amount on Friday. Some students liked having a later start time. Similarly to the Friday schedule, many Lancers utilized the time to work or sleep. “I just like sleeping in every day or catching up on work when I need to,” Ruiz said.

Another benefit of having flex time throughout the week is that many teachers held open flex time. Open flex meant teachers would allow students to come in and complete their work without having been requested. This helped students since they didn’t have to wait until the end of the week to ask for help on their assignments. 

Mr. Timothy held open flex time. He says students were always coming in and usually got a lot done. This was an important collaborative time for teachers and students. 

No matter what flex schedule Granger used, students and teachers had opinions. Overall, student values were the cause of differing opinions. How a student preferred to spend their time impacted their thoughts on which flex schedule to use. 

Starting a new school year, Lancers are left to wonder what changes can still be made to flex time. The student body will have to wait and see what the admins have in store.