THE ECHO

By Evan Rausch // Reporter

Why do all Avon High School students leave the building at 3:10? What happened to the previous staggered dismissal?

For a few years now Avon High School has dismissed students through a staggered dismissal. The upper level of the building was released at 3:08 while the rest of the building was released at 3:10. Dean of Students Andrea Abel said the change in dismissal procedures is all about making sure students aren’t missing out on time in the classroom.

“It might seem small, but when you think about it, the loss of instructional time over the course of a week, over the course of a month, over the course of a year…” Abel said.

Adding two minutes back to a classroom certainly adds up over time. Over the course of a month, teachers would otherwise lose the equivalent of a full class period. That said, Abel said she understands some students are disappointed they can no longer leave two minutes early.

“Avon is a place where we have excellence, right? Our students are exceptional. We have a 98.4% graduation rate, which is phenomenal for a school as large as Avon. However, I think that students would much rather prefer a little bit of early dismissal,” Abel said.

Abel said administrators will continue to assess this policy and others as the year goes on.

“Administration is always willing to reexamine situations if things are not working,” Abel said.