In 2009, Council Grove High School switched to the trimester system because it allowed students to earn two additional credits over their high school careers. That decision was made to benefit students, not to make things easier for adults. Under the current Board of Education, however, the idea of switching back to semesters has been revived, despite overwhelming opposition from those most directly affected.

Last school year, a survey showed that 80% of students and 88% of staff supported keeping trimesters. Since then, even more information has come out reinforcing that position. The message from our community could not be clearer, yet the board continues to entertain this change. It makes many of us wonder: who exactly are they trying to please?

The reasons given, such as mental health, scheduling breaks, condensed learning, and snow days, do not hold up under scrutiny. Students already benefit from longer class periods that minimize homework and stress. Condensing schedules would only create more work and more anxiety, not less. The breaks between trimesters are often welcomed by students who prefer variety over monotony. Issues like snow days could easily be resolved with small calendar adjustments rather than dismantling a system that already works.

Meanwhile, our results speak for themselves. Council Grove students consistently outperform neighboring schools. Many graduate early, in November or February, giving them a valuable head start in college, careers, or trade programs. The trimester system gives our students flexibility and opportunity. The board’s push to undo that feels less like a solution and more like a step backward.

What’s most concerning is the board’s disregard for its own stated values. On its website, one of the district’s “core values” is equity, defined as ensuring that all voices matter and should be heard and represented when making decisions that impact students, staff, families, and communities. If that’s truly the case, why are the overwhelming voices of students and teachers being ignored?

This board has a responsibility to listen, not to control the narrative, not to move hastily, and not to make decisions in a vacuum. In 2009, it took three years to make the switch to trimesters. Now, the board is trying to reverse that in less than one. That’s not thoughtful leadership, that’s recklessness.

Council Grove deserves transparency, accountability, and respect. Before this board votes on such a significant change, it owes the community an honest conversation and a plan that reflects what the majority actually wants, not what a few prefer behind closed doors. The trimester system works. The numbers prove it. The people support it. The board’s job is not to undo progress, but to uphold it.

Respectfully,

Colton Elsen

Sophomore Class President

Council Grove Junior Senior High School