With elbows flying and kids pushing, it’s hard for students to get to their classes before the bell rings. Due to the narrow hallways and spread-out classes, students are struggling.

The length of passing period is only five minutes. That’s five minutes for students to use the restroom, stop at their lockers and get to class on time. For students rushing from the English hallway to the annex, it’s nearly impossible.

LHS needs to extend the passing period by a minute or two, so students can make it on time to their classes.

Of course, the school would have to revise the schedule and in effect, decrease class time. But students would be on time to their classes, and the benefits of that would pay off throughout the rest of the class period.

Most importantly, students could stop at their lockers to get their specific materials for their next class. That means that they would be more prepared and ready for their courses.

Another disadvantage of having a short passing period is that teachers often waste class time re-explaining or revising attendance just because a student was late.

Finally, teachers’ preparation time will be increased and they will be ready when their students start to arrive. Teachers will be able to finish up any work and be ready to teach their students.

Overall, six to seven minutes of passing is a longer and more useful time for students to get ready, use the restroom and make it to classes on time. While having to change the schedule, making the passing periods longer would help, not only the students, but also teachers in many ways.