New policies in the high school have taken effect this year in response to a need for new organization and support, including changes to the structure of study halls, A+ markings being removed from PowerSchool and restrictions to lunchtime seating.
Study Halls
Assistant Principal Kristen Kearns said a new level of fluidity has been added to study hall organization, creating a support-based learning environment.
Kearns said study halls are now structured in several tiers that allow students to receive the appropriate amount of support.
Kearns said Tier One consists of students who maintain good grades and complete their work without adult intervention. Tier Two, she said, has more adult supervision and may include weekly check-ins with study hall teachers. Tier Three consists of daily check-ins with teachers and has the most adult assistance, she said.
Kearns added there will be more movement that was lacking in years past. She explained if a student is absent for an extended period of time, they may be moved to a tier with more support until they are able to catch up on work.
Kearns said the new study hall system provides students an avenue to connect with their teachers.
“I appreciate that it doesn’t seem like the kids are just another face in a room to the teachers,” she said.
Library
The library is closed to study hall students this year, but the Math Resource Center and English Resource Center remain open to students during study hall time.
“An issue we were having last year was people signing into the MRC and walking across to the library,” Kearns said. “This caused the library to turn into a social setting rather than an academic one.”
Kearns added teacher complaints about the library helped to inform the administrative decision.
“Teachers wanted to turn it back into an academic setting so that they could take their classes down there and use the resource without a bunch of study hall students,” she said.
Sophomore Lilly Miller said she was disappointed she could no longer go to the library and work with her friends during study hall.
“I really miss the library,” she said. “Last year, I was able to collaborate with others when I went there.”
English teacher Michelle Rogers said she has enjoyed the empty library and has incorporated it into her lessons. Rogers added she has taken advantage of the library multiple times this year, letting students use class time to do research, look for books and work together in groups.
“In other years, it has been challenging to hold the attention of my classes when we would go to the library because the study hall students were always so loud,” she said. “Now I am able to provide instruction that I was not able to before, and there are less interruptions.”
Grades
A+ markings have been removed from the gradebook this year, as they made transcripts confusing for colleges, Principal Jason Caudill explained.
“A and A+ are the same in your grade point average,” he said. “It looks kind of weird if kids are taking College Credit Plus and getting an A but then also taking other classes and getting an A+, but it’s just because CCP classes don’t have A+ markings.”
Lunch
Lunchtime seating options have faced a reduction this year; in years prior, students could eat anywhere, but this year, students are not allowed to eat on the first or third floor.
Lunch seating is restricted to the cafeteria, the science hallway and outside, Kearns said.
She added the change came as a request of the custodial staff, who faced troubles cleaning the first floor areas following lunch.
“Our custodial staff said it was too much of a high traffic area to be able to clean the lunch mess up right away,” she said.
Kearns said although it is an adjustment, these changes will greatly benefit the school year.
“I’m really excited,” she said.”I think these changes have worked out great for the students so far, and I do think with consistency, things will only continue to get better.”
Published and digitized October 2025.
