District 225 earned Niche’s title of “Number One School District in America” because its students constantly strive for excellence. It is a wonderful honor that sometimes has its downside.
Just 7 percent of South’s Class of 2024 did not enroll in a postsecondary institution. Most four-year colleges consider student involvement and the rigor of courses taken , which for many of our peers means taking additional courses, or courses that take up a block and a half. In order to balance these additional courses in their schedules, students often drop their Student Resource Time (SRT), which leaves them with no free blocks. When we have to make up a test or complete test corrections, we go to the Test Make-Up Center.
The Test Make-Up Center is open from 7 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.—60 minutes before school, and 75 minutes after school. On late arrival days, it is only open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., giving students less flexibility in make-up time. The Test Make-up Center is also open during all lunch blocks, however that only gives students 40 minutes to make up a test and also causes students to skip lunch.
So what do students, who might need 90 minutes to make up an exam, the typical time allotted in class, do? They skip other classes to make up the text, or have their teacher create additional accommodations. Those solutions are both problems.
Although the Test Center’s hours adhere to staff hours and pay, administrators should work to accommodate students by allocating adequate funding out of the district’s $189.7 million dollar budget for the 2025-2026 school year to adjust staffing and expand test center hours.
One potential solution is to create a 90-minute period for the Test Make-Up Center to be open outside of one’s normal block schedule. If the Test Make-Up Center opened at 6:30 a.m. instead of 7:00 a.m., students would have 90 minutes to take a test.
Other potential remedies lie with teachers. By allowing students to either split their test into two 45-minute parts, or complete the test one page at a time, teachers can help students make up the test with their allotted amount of time while the Test Center is open, which is a practice some teachers already employ. Additionally, teachers can allow students to make up tests during their class block in order to help their students catch up.
One in every four students at South do not have an SRT, according to an unscientific survey of 311 students conducted by The Oracle. Of those students, 52 percent agree that not having an SRT affects their ability to make up missed tests, according to The Oracle survey.
South has a commitment to academic accomplishments, reflected in its school culture and ranking. But, South also has a commitment to its students.
The district and its teachers must find ways to create opportunities for students to complete tests without feeling stressed or rushed.
