Over the past couple of weeks, there has been speculation from both students and staff that Central might change its current bell schedule next year toincrease student performance and improve the learning environment. 

There have been conversations within the district regarding the block schedule being switched to a period or hybrid one, which would look more like a mixture of block and period, instead. Separately, both Omaha Public Schools and the Omaha Education Association are discussing how the length of the school day would be shortened by 20 minutes. 

 As of right now, none of these potential changes have been confirmed, but we know from Bridget Blevins, an external relations administrator for OPS, they are currently being negotiated and proposed. 

 Central principal Dionne Kirksey is advocating for these changes as she believes it could benefit the students at Central the most.  

 “[We could see] kids maybe wanting to come to school, kids maybe wanting to go to class, kids maybe engaging in the learning atmosphere more,” Kirkseysaid. 

 The potential benefits mentioned above are goals Central has been working to reach for multiple years now, which is a leading motivator for her advocacy. 

 “I have to look at the changes in education, the changes in how information is being [given] to [students], and what do we need to do to make sure young people are getting what they’re supposed to and being proficient in more things than not,” Kirksey said. 

 Another staff member at Central who supports and agrees with this is Jimmie Foster, the social studies department head and a union leader at Central who is involved in negotiations with OPS. After teaching in the district for years, he has seen multiple forms of the bell schedule and does not believe blocks are ideal. “We went to block, and everybody said that would be perfect, but our scores don’t really show that,” Foster said. 

 Foster added, “I think the shortened day for students is pretty big, I would be surprised if we didn’t go to that.” 

 Jordan Boyer is an Advanced Placement government teacher at Central who wants to go back to full period scheduling. “Ninety minutes is a long time to sit in a class, and even as adults it’s tough for us to go to meetings and sit for an hour or more and retain and be engaged. But yet we expect students to do it every day,” Boyer said. 

 Perspectives on scheduling revolve around wanting what’s best for Central and the students, which includes potentially seeing higher scores and attendance rates. A new bell schedule could also accommodate students’ shortening attention spans by requiring less time for them to be fully engaged and to have each subject on a day-to-day basis. 

 “I feel like if it’s good for everybody and if it’s what will help the most students and the most burnout and teachers, then we should do it,” Boyer said.