RCHS students encountered schedule changes the week before the start of the 2023-2024 school year. Students who were originally taking engineering classes with Mr. James Gerken, the former engineering instructor, were moved to other elective classes due to a shortage of teachers.
Gerken resigned at the end of the 2022-2023 school year after student schedules were made, and the school was unable to find a replacement teacher. Affected students were placed into different electives due to the unavailability of the engineering classes, which caused changes to many student schedules.
Counselor Tyra Little spoke about the requirements for a new engineering teacher and why nobody took the job.
“We are hoping that [the classes] come back, but it takes a special kind of person to fill that role because they have to have tech credentials and a heart for kids to leave the tech industry and come to a school,” said Little.
After the classes were made unavailable, students had to be moved into their chosen backup electives. Many of these classes filled up quickly and some overflowed due to the number of students taking them.
Principal Mike Craft talked about how teachers accommodated for extra students.
“We gave two extra teachers an extra class period. Teachers usually teach five class periods, but they have the option to teach six. Right now, we have 15 teachers in the building who teach six classes,” said Craft.
RCHS is trying to make the engineering classes available once again in future school years, but right now, students are taking other classes to continue their education in the technology and engineering field.
Junior Luke Eversole is one of these students. To fulfill his dream of becoming an electrical engineer, Eversole is taking electronics and advanced math classes.
Eversole is also trying to do things outside of school to learn more about engineering.
“Right now, I’m trying to get an internship at the W&L IQ Center,” Eversole said.
Said internship is an opportunity at Washington and Lee University that focuses on technology research.
