Interesting clubs, honor societies and sports teams of every variety take place after school at Northwood every day throughout the school year. Some students take advantage of these opportunities, participating in multiple clubs and sports teams at once. But after-school activities cost extra time and money from students and their families. There are many limiting factors and circumstances to a student’s inability to participate in after-school activities. Students may have parents who work multiple jobs or late shifts, and are unable to adhere to the student’s school schedule. Some families may not be able to afford additional cars for their students, or students may not have access to rides every day after school.
It is the opinion of the editorial board of The Omniscient that Northwood should offer late buses—we suggest 5:00 p.m.—to provide students with transportation opportunities to and from after-school activities.
Late afternoon bus rides could provide more than rides for students taking part in after-school activities. They could open doors to more opportunities for students to enrich their lives and improve their participation in extracurricular sports and clubs.
Involvement in activities at school broadens a student’s high school experience by giving them the chance to discover their interests and talents in areas other than their core classes during the school day. Activities are also prized on a college résumé, and involvement in a variety of activities gives students a good foundation for a strong college application.
Late buses could give students the opportunity to stay after school and partake in after-school activities, but for some students, it could also provide an opportunity to discuss material with their teachers, get help with grades, meet with tutors or study with their peers. Plus One is a great time for students to talk with their teachers and peers, but 30 minutes goes by quickly, and a single student will most likely not receive their teacher’s undivided attention for the entire half hour. Being able to stay after school to study, complete makeup work or talk to teachers is another huge advantage to later buses, and this could help many students improve their grades, giving them a better chance of success in their high school careers.
Later buses would be a great addition to our school’s transportation system. However, we know that Northwood does not have unlimited resources. Providing multiple buses, traveling long routes, adding on extra fuel costs, and finding bus drivers are all challenging aspects of this plan. Northwood already does so much for its students, but making a complicated change like this could be a great new step toward giving each student at Northwood equal chances of fulfilling their potential and making their paths toward success.
