Initially, the $20 schedule change fee was somewhat of a shock, but it actually makes sense.

The 2023-2024 course registration packets were handed out this past Wednesday, and there was a major change added where students who want certain schedule changes have to pay a $20 fee. This only applies, however, to the “unacceptable” changes such as changing an elective course or adding/removing a virtual course. If there is a legitimate concern with your schedule, as outlined in the registration forms, then there is no payment required. However, requesting changes such as wanting to be in a class with a friend or requesting a different teacher is never permitted, and one cannot pay for that change. In other words, you cannot just pay $160 and get your “dream schedule.”

Patriot Pages spoke with Mr. Delbridge about this matter, and he explained that the cause for this change is the fact that year after year, students are attempting to change schedules for unacceptable reasons. Students are abusing the kindness of our BJHS counseling department and causing undue stress on them. Students are requesting classes that they think fit best for them, but once they realize the difficulty of it, they do not want it anymore. This causes a lot of extra work for the counselors, which can be easily prevented if students educate themselves about their course selections (and any alternate course chosen).

In previous years, Bob Jones has never added an extra fee for unacceptable schedule changes, but according to Mr. Delbrige, James Clemens High School has always had these types of fees. You might be wondering where this money is going; these fees will go to the counseling department and to the school itself. Those funds will also go to student support in things like providing clothes and food to students in need.

It is important to note that our counselors are very overwhelmed with students. They each have 600+ students to deal with and we have to be mindful of this when picking classes. Our counselors are also available to talk to about classes, so if you have any questions, make sure to talk to them about it. Choose your courses wisely, and be sure to talk to your family, teachers, and friends about what classes would fit best for you.