At Morton East High School, school started from 8:00 am in the morning to 2:40 pm in the afternoon throughout the years. Everything changed for the 2018-2019 year of school. Administration and the principles had agreed on a time schedule change. School now starts at 8:45 am in the morning until 3:10 pm in the afternoon.  

Students and staff were used to getting to school by 8:00 am in the morning but now they have to get used to coming 45 minutes later. Each class started around the start of every hour. School ended earlier which gave students extra time to pick up their siblings at school or getting to work on time. There would be about 100-300 tardies a day with the old time schedule. The administration went through the time change to improve attendance, decrease the tardy count, get extra help in the morning and have enough sleep for school. I went around the school and asked random students if they liked the new time schedule. In a random survey of 100 Morton East students, 40% of students reported that yes, they do like the new time schedule.  

“I like the new time schedule because it gives kids extra time in the morning to get ready and if kids need any help they can come early in the morning” one of the Librarians at Morton East said.  

Some kids don’t like the new time schedule because we get out later than usual. Some kids have work or have to pick up siblings from school.  

“I don’t like the new schedule because I have work after school and only have about 30 minutes to get to work. I don’t have time to pick up my little sister from school anymore so my aunt had been doing it” Mynor Morales said, a student at Morton East.  

Some students like the new time schedule. Lots of kids get tardy because they are late or they feel tired and get to school late. With school starting later, kids have more time to get to school and there should be less tardies.  

“I like the new time schedule because now I have more time to get ready and I get more sleep. I also feel more awake in the morning” Jasmin Reyes said, another student at Morton East High School.