There are many changes that have taken place at McCracken County High School in the ’24-’25 school year and moving into the ’25-’26 school year. One of these changes included getting rid of many elective classes that used to be offered to all students wanting to further their education in more specific ways. These classes included most of the ones associated with core subjects, such as creative writing and poetry.
Many teachers, staff, and students have mixed opinions on whether or not we should have taken these away. McCracken County High School principal, Jonathan Smith, commented briefly on the situation. “Our goal as an administration this year was to maximize scheduling opportunities while adjusting to our new A/B schedule and the increased need for more sections of pathway electives, core classes, fine arts, and foreign language classes,” Smith explained.
The new A/B schedule has allowed students to adjust to more of a college-like environment. Switching from forty-five-minute class periods to an hour and twenty-minute class periods may seem daunting. Some students find it confusing, while others find it leaning towards the more helpful side. Skater Houser (12) states, “Class time being extended seems like it would be absolutely awful, but because of extended class time, I now have time to get homework done in class instead of at home.”
Electives have played an important role in allowing the creativity of McCracken students to flourish outside of their core classes and explore deeper into more specific activities they might want to pursue. Getting rid of electives can be seen as a positive and negative decision, but overall, it will hopefully have a positive end impact on students.
