Lockney High School (Alex Driggars/Floyd County Record)
LOCKNEY — In an effort to help curb the amount of time that students miss class for athletics, Lockney High School is flip-flopping first and ninth periods for all students beginning next Tuesday.
In a recent Facebook post, LHS Principal Michell Southard said that all students will swap their first period class and their ninth period class. Athletics and other first period classes will now take place during ninth period at the end of the day, and classes that previously took place during ninth period will now be the first class of the day.
Since moving to a four-day instructional week at the beginning of the year, Lockney High School lengthened the school day until 4:15 p.m. Since many athletic events start at 4 p.m. or are out of town, many athletes are missing later classes for games.
“One consequence of our (new four-day) schedule, that we did not anticipate, has been that our athletes have had to miss 9th period to travel to games quite often,” Southard wrote. “Athletics being 9th period will help students by allowing them to miss athletics for travel and early games, and not miss a regular class twice a week.”
It is especially important, Southard says, to implement the change during basketball season, which lasts longer and incorporates more game days than other sports — usually two per week. The switch takes effect on Tuesday, Nov. 9 and lasts for the remainder of the school year.
Questions about the change can be directed to the LHS office. Specific questions about athletic practice times should be referred to the coaching staff.
“We apologize for any inconvenience or confusion that this change will cause, but we will try our best to communicate well and often,” Southard wrote.
