7+1 is a concept for a new(ish) schedule that ACPS is trying to propose as a new high school schedule. The idea is that it would remove an elective space from the schedule and turn it into a schoolwide mandatory Warrior Period-like block. They proposed that the new block could also provide time for other school activities, like reading time, or a spot for clubs to meet.
During the school board meeting on the 14th of December, the school board came to the consensus that they did not actually have the ability to enact the schedule change, so it was left up to the superintendent Dr. Haas, who has decided to not bring the schedule to Albemarle County Schools in the coming year.
While the plan was cancelled for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year, it is still a looming threat for future school years. While the schedule has its pros, leaving room for less stress due to the removal of a class opportunity, more opportunities to study, and more free time within school, I believe the cons outweigh them.
The main con is the lack of choice within the schedule. By forcing students to take a mandatory class, that takes away the ability to take an elective a student would have wanted to take, and forcefully replaces it with an unrequested mandatory class. Students have the ability to choose what classes they want to take, so if someone wants to take a study hall, they can. They shouldn’t be forced into that. Paired with the AP limit the district implemented, it feels like schools are pushing for us to relax far too much. And many students agree with keeping the current schedule. The statistics released alongside the 7+1 survey showed that 49% of Albemarle County high school students wanted to keep the 8 opportunity schedule. Only 19% were fully for the 7+1 opportunity schedule. And while a plurality (49%) of teachers wanted 7+1, 35% still fully supported the 8-opportunity option. Krystal Dawson, a teacher at Western Albemarle High School was not in support of the 7+1 option “[The school board] couldn’t tell us exactly what their plan was for the extra period, and I was more worried it was going to end up being an extended time of freedom for the kids, and not as a structured as a teachers may have liked.”
While the 7+1 schedule has both ups and downs, many Albemarle County students are far against it. And while the schedule is out of the question for the upcoming school year, the 2025-2026 schedule could still turn to the 7+1 schedule. While students will not have to be wary of it coming to the next school year, it shouldn’t be forgotten, as the schedule idea may come back sooner than expected.
