Watauga High School’s Hybrid Schedule Creates Challenges for the Band Program

The WHS Pioneer Band logo. Photo credits: Taryn Wooten 

Ian Biles, Staff Writer for The Powderhorn 

Watauga High School’s hybrid schedule has created difficulties for students in the band. The current schedule the high school follows allows for two types of classes: A/B classes, which are year-long classes that meet every other day, and block classes, which are semester-long classes that meet every day. This system works great for some, but offers significant scheduling challenges for others, especially when schedules remain inconsistent year to year. This year, band classes, which are traditionally an A/B class, were flipped to only being offered as a block.

Taryn Wooten, WHS Band and Orchestra Director, as well as Art Department Representative for the Curriculum Committee, had her band program significantly impacted by Watauga's hybrid schedule.  Jazz band, a class that was offered as a third block A/B last year, has switched to a semester-long class, causing personnel changes and affecting potential graduation seals for seniors.

“Every current senior that was in the class last year  isn’t in it this year.” said Wooten,  “We kept 5 of the 12 students from last year’s band.”

The state of North Carolina offers a diploma seal to high school graduates for participating in the same arts discipline all 4 years.  Unfortunately, seniors unable to take the jazz band this year will not qualify for this seal, leading to potential consequences come college admission season. 

“[The schedule change] prevents them from earning their graduation cord and the seal on their diploma,” said Wooten. “So not only is it impacting their schedules, but it can impact them as far as things they could earn that would help them get into colleges, along with helping to build their potential musical resumé.  That’s frustrated me; it's been a very frustrating process.”

These changes have had negative effects in unexpected places.  One of the more severe ripple effects has to do with the band program's ability to fundraise. 

“We’re not going to be able to do our Night of Jazz in the spring,” said Wooten. “And, you know, that was the big gig that we did. It also serves as a large fundraiser for the program, since part of the ticket sales go towards the program. That money is poof- gone, because we only have the jazz band class this semester.”

The change isn’t all bad, however. Wooten says the benefits of having the class meet every day have been apparent in this year’s band.

“The good thing, I think, is that we’re getting instructional time every day. That lets us play more music than we normally would,” said Wooten. 

Watauga High School Principal Dr. Scott Strickler and assistant principals Daniel Machon and Ashley Winkler offered an administrative perspective on schedule changes and the reasons Watauga High School follows the current schedule format. 

“The way it used to be, there was a period during the day called a skinny. There were two types of blocks called skinnies and longs,” said Winkler. “You would have two skinnies, and you would have them all year long. “Longs” were similar to blocks. With the skinnies, every day you would have one class for half the block, and the second class for the other half of the block.”

This system of “skinnies and longs” eventually shifted to the current block schedule format. Strickler cites the main advocates for this change as being performing arts and Advanced Placement classes. However, band classes, a group of classes in the performing arts department, were changed to blocks, but not without reason.

“Our orchestral band, our jazz band, our percussion ensemble, they’re all pretty robust,  and this is no slight against the students or Ms. Wooten, but our marching band has lower numbers than I think anybody would like,” said Strickler.  “Last year, I think we had around 24 kids in the marching band. This year I believe we have 20.”

Administrators hoped marching band students would sign up for symphonic band. In addition, since football ends before the semester does, they thought this might allow band students to transition more quickly to symphonic scores. Administrators stressed that they are trying their best to consider every group of students when selecting where classes will fall in the master schedule..

 “When making the schedule, there is never any intention to stifle any department,” said Machon.