Why should it take four years to complete high school? Why not three? Schedule each student to science and physical education in adjacent periods.

One phys ed class would be given over to double-up science for lab sessions. First-year foreign language and Algebra I would drop to the eighth grade.

English would drop to three years. These changes would require new state requirements. Because high school costs are much greater than costs for the lower grades the total school budgets should acheive savings approaching 10 percent. The demand for more classroom space could be helped without new construction.

I spent six years on the Highland Park Board of Education and nine years concurrently on the Bridgewater-Raritan Board and the County Ed Services Commision; however, this is my own thinking and reflects no position of any of these bodies.

Al Smith


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