By Summer Crawford
Staff Writer
All of a sudden you find yourself in a vast and unfamiliar hallway. The looming walls are closing in and fear is filling your mind. As a bell rings, waves of hundreds of students come rolling in like an unstoppable tide, all you can think about is how you want to be anywhere but here.
What is this? It is high school.
Unfortunately for some freshmen, high school can be a frightening and dreadful experience. I was a freshman once too, and my experience, although not too unpleasant, did not go the way I imagined.
The main reason why some freshmen at Coppell High School have such a tough time adjusting and finding their place is because of how the school system is set up. Coppell ISD only made plans for three middle schools and two high schools, CHS and New Tech High@Coppell. No one could have anticipated the overflow of students wanting to attend CHS.
One of the main issues at CHS is overcrowding, with all four grade levels having a magnitude of 650 plus students. With students arriving in Coppell from in-state and out-of-state, the current freshman population and future freshman classes are suffering the consequences. Additions of new neighborhoods, such as the Cypress Waters development and other neighborhoods like the ones on the north side of Sandy Lake Road, add to the influx of students in the ninth grade class.
There are only so many spots available for students in the education system in CISD, and it makes me sad to think that some freshmen do not get enough personal attention and do not adjust well to the high school life. So, I propose we make a change.
The best way to accomplish this goal of solving overcrowding and other educational problems is to split up the grade levels. Instead of having the traditional four grade levels making up the high school, we should have sophomores, juniors and seniors in one building, and freshmen in their own building. Having a freshman center in Coppell would offer a plethora of benefits to both the students and the administration.
Instead of being moved from eighth grade straight into a large high school full of 3,000 students, eighth graders should be transferred directly to the freshman center. Here, they can learn without the distractions of the busy-bee high school, and they get a chance to form tighter bonds with their fellow students and teachers. Freshman students will get more specialized attention since their teachers will only have classes of ninth graders.
Another benefit of a freshman center would be the adjustment process. Eighth grade students would not have such an abrupt change by going straight to the high school the way it is set up currently. Students would not just be dropped off at the high school on their very first day with a brown sack lunch, butterflies in their stomach and a “Good luck!” from their mom or dad.
Having a cousin who lives in New Jersey and went to a personalized freshman center, I have seen firsthand the undeniable positive outcomes of having this type of school system. He was able to make friends and get to know his teachers on a personal level, instead of just being placed into a big pond of unfamiliar faces. Neighboring school districts such as Carroll ISD and Lewisville ISD have established freshman centers, or combined ninth and 10th grade centers. If other districts have successful centers for their freshman classes, why should we not give it a shot?
Some people might argue that this freshman center will cost too much money or that it is “isolating” the students, but this could make students’ lives less complicated and confusing. A freshman center may be the best decision for Coppell. If parents in Coppell are willing to put in the investment, their children could very likely receive desirable outcomes.
Every parent wants the best for his or her child, especially when it comes to education. So why not take a leap of faith and decide to create a center for ninth graders? With change comes unease about the outcome, but how will we know what could have been, if we never try?
