By Gabriel Selbig
In no way has Homer High found a permanent solution, but returning students of the school can breathe a sigh of relief this coming fall, as the school starting time will remain 8:30 am sharp. As hope began to dwindle, Dr. Gee was told the state would provide additional funding for the original bus system for at least another year. However, he enlightened that “we may be in the same struggle this time next year.”
As the issue gained hype throughout the school and the parents of students, meetings based around the topic were nearly a monthly occasion. “The first meeting I had about the issue was back in October”, stated Dr. Gee. “Since then, we’ve held several public and Site Council meetings in attempts to find a solution.”
Nevertheless, Mariner Compass journalist, Ryan Navrot knows firsthand the complications which thwarted one or two of these meetings. “The snowstorms a few months ago canceled every meeting I tried to go to,” he said. “It was like I was always waiting for a rescheduling date.”
There was little hope by the end of the winter, as the student body began accepting the scheduling changes. The additional funding given by the state surprised Dr. Gee. However, he was quick to point out how temporary this result may be.
Also, Homer High’s principal explained the likeliness of various schedule tweaks which could be put into effect by next school year. “We’re looking to switch around the time for FOL and also do something about the ten minute breaks.”
The funding is only good for one year, and it’s not likely such funding will be given again. Dr. Gee clarifies it as “a period of breathing room.”