After this school year, block scheduling will come to an end after only one year.

The modified block schedule, implemented at the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year, consists of two-day styles, Red and White days. On Red days, students go to 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 8th periods. On White days, students attend 1st, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th periods.

The school was originally planning to lean into a complete block schedule with the 2022-2023 school year to prepare for the district to becoming an International Baccalaureate (IB) school 8-period schedule.

The 8-period system is self-explanatory. Students go to all of their classes every day, one after the other. One of the main advantages of the traditional schedule is students have daily interactions with their teachers and their programs, such as fine arts and athletics. This is how the school operated until this year.

With Melissa’s population steadily growing, the high school campus is continually challenged to employ enough staff members to match the increased student population. A previous interview with Principal Kenneth Wooten revealed that it was his vision to transition into a complete block schedule by next year, which would make the school suitable for an IB curriculum. However, he also mentioned that such a schedule would require more staff on hand.

The implementation of the IB program at the high school campus has been slowed down; therefore, the campus will revert to standard scheduling until the decision is made to switch back to block scheduling.