The theme of the most recent MCCSC school board meeting: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
The MCCSC administration has introduced an unprecedented schedule change that will affect the two biggest Bloomington public high schools. This decision will require students at Bloomington’s North and South high schools to experience a two semester system, rather than continue their respective structures (trimesters and blocks). Our high school, Bloomington South, has continually outperformed schools of similar size, as 95% of its students qualify as “College and Career ready,” and over 75% of students take the SAT. Additionally, 65% of graduating students earned an academic honors diploma, while the state average currently stands at 39%. South currently operates under a trimester system, which consists of five classes per day, offering 15 credits per year. Under a potential semester system, students would receive fewer credits per year, which may prevent students from continuing their planned graduation path (specifically early graduations).
One piece of evidence supporting the benefits of this schedule change, provided by MCCSC Superintendent Jeff Hauswald, revolves around a supposed increase in credit loss among students transferring to and from Bloomington South. Hauswald did not provide statistics to support this claim. On the local radio show, “Glass in the Afternoon” Hauswald said that because of transfer and credit loss, some students have to “take a fifth year of school.” However, when speaking to a group of South counselors, we’d received information that yearly transfers (to South) rarely exceed 10 students, and that reasonable graduation pathways are rarely an issue. I (McLeod) moved to Bloomington from Connecticut in 2021, and immediately decided upon attending South. Not only was I able to retain credits, but I was provided the opportunity to earn a greater number of credits from South’s trimester system. Any potential change will undeniably harm future high schoolers who experience similar circumstances.
Hauswald also claims that this scheduling decision will help support the community’s historically marginalized populations – especially those who are constantly switching households or are homeless. The McKinney-Vento Act, passed by Congress in 1987, benefits children who “lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.” Throughout the nation, this ruling allows school-age children to receive necessary transportation to whichever school they choose to attend. Therefore, if a certain group of students are unable to receive reasonable transportation to their schools, that problem needs to be fixed. This is not a basis for a schedule change. This is a transportation issue. If Hauswald has access to information regarding transfer rates, graduation rates, and credit fluctuations that would further prove the need for a schedule change, we encourage him to disclose such statistics.
The student body has many concerns regarding this untimely decision. Students will likely have to balance additional classes, a substantially greater amount of homework assignments, and if class periods are shorter — a significant amount of in-class material within a minimal timespan. This would increase the overall student stress levels, and would therefore undeniably damage the academic success that South has maintained thus far.
The term “equity” is defined as “the quality of being fair and impartial,” while the term “equality” is defined as “the state of being equal, especially in status, rights, and opportunities.”
Both definitions are different, yet the superintendent continues to use them interchangeably. One unique quality of MCCSC schools revolves around the community’s ability to consider the opportunities provided by each public school. Some families would prefer for their child to attend South, due to their trimester system, while others prefer North’s block schedule. Decisions often revolve around the quality of athletic teams, art programs, and other extracurricular opportunities. Both of these systems are beneficial to certain members of our community, due to the diverse learning styles and needs of our students. This is a prime example of equity. These differences benefit our community. This decision tears it apart.
