South Park School District

Strengthening minds. Powering futures.

South Park High School Students and Families, 

I hope that your summer is off to a great start. I’m already looking forward to when our students return for the first day of school on August 24th. In order to offer our students the best possible educational opportunities at South Park High School, we are making a few adjustments to improve student scheduling opportunities for all students in grades 9-12 for the 2023-2024 school year. Below is a summary of these updates:

• Class periods will each run three minutes longer than previous years. This will equate to approximately nine (9) additional hours of instruction per class throughout the school year. The first bell will sound at 7:23 a.m. and the final bell will remain at 2:20 p.m.  Homeroom will no longer run as a separate period. Instead, Period 1 will be 48 minutes to include homeroom duties, such as taking attendance. Last year, the combined time of homeroom and Period 1 was four minutes more than it will be in 2023-2024, taking into account the three minutes allocated for transition.

• With the exception of lunch, all other periods will be 45 minutes, which allows for an additional three minutes of instructional time for each period. All lunches will be 30 minutes. 

• All students have the opportunity to take a study hall if they wish. Most students will have a study hall during the last period of each day, which will be beneficial to students who participate in after school activities that require early dismissals. This is not mandatory and, if a student so chooses, some class options are available for the final period. 

• Clubs and other activities will continue to meet before or after school. Clubs and activities will not meet during the day or during study hall. Students who attend Steel Center will arrive back at the school in time to participate in clubs and activities of their choosing. 

• Science courses that require a lab will run on A/B days. Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, students will receive 1.5 credits for science courses that require a lab. In previous years, students earned 1.0 credits for science courses that require a lab.

•  At the Regular School Board Meeting on June 14, 2023, we amended our “Program of Studies” to add the following dual credit courses: Honors 20th Century Modern African American Literature - College in the High School (CIHS), CIHS Honors Biology, CIHS - AP Computer Science, CIHS Probability and Statistics. Tuition and materials for these college-level courses will be covered by grant funding in the 2023-2024 School Year.

• To review the updated bell schedule, click here. 

We are confident that these improvements will benefit our learners by increasing instructional time and providing additional course options for students wanting to secure college credits while also meeting high school credit requirements. Our counselors and staff are hard at work, as we continue meeting with students to refine schedules over the coming weeks. Ultimately, students will need to choose courses that best meet their unique goals. We are offering more choices and more instructional periods to help students achieve their goals. If you have any questions, please call the high school office.

I sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding as we best prepare our students for future success. 

Mr. Justin Dellarose, South Park High School Principal