PLANT CITY – A big change for the new school year at Durant High is conversion from block to traditional class scheduling, which will more easily accommodate smaller class sizes. Some parents are taking a wait-and-see attitude about the impact on the students.

Parent Linda Robles said her oldest daughter, Sarah, 19, who is in her second year at Hillsborough Community College, spent four years at Durant using block scheduling.

“Block scheduling resembles what you will encounter in college,” Robles said. “But I don’t know if there was any advantage for the students. Traditional scheduling has been used in schools for over 50 years and seems to work.”

Robles’ youngest daughter, Hannah, is a 10th-grader at Durant.

“The important question is what benefits will there be for the students with smaller class sizes,” Robles said.

Maureen Carney, president of Durant’s Parent, Teachers and Student Association, has a son in special education there.

“Traditional scheduling will create some hardship for some of the special education students. Instead of three or four classroom changes each day, some could have seven or eight,” Carney said. “Most of the parents were not pleased with the change when it was first considered. But it seems it was a foregone conclusion. Most of the student schedules I have seen are satisfactory. Students have a better opportunity to schedule electives under the traditional method.”

Carney agrees with Robles that time will tell which method allows the best opportunity for students to learn.

“Advanced placement and honors courses are still available for those who want them,” Carney said.

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