School Board OKs Early-Bird Classes

Students at Oak Park High School will be able to start school early next year to accommodate more electives.

The Oak Park Unified School District board members on Tuesday approved an “optional zero period,” in response to complaints from students that they didn’t have enough time to take the classes they needed to be competitive when applying for college. That period will start at 7 a.m.

School officials have not finalized the courses to be offered during the early period, but the intent is to allow students to add honors classes, technology classes and other electives.

Computer networking, graphics and animation classes also may be offered. “We’re always trying to be more relevant to the kids,” school board member Jim Kalember said.

The district had previously considered adding extra periods but decided against it because having more periods would have reduced class size in some academic areas.