Downey

Students in grades 6 to 12 will be surveyed to determine whether they are interested in voluntarily attending an extra period daily, said Downey Unified School District Supt. Manuel Gallegos. Student response will help determine whether the district offers a seventh period and, if so, what kind of classes are offered, Gallegos said.

The extra period before or after the regular school day would be directed at college-bound students with a full schedule of academic classes, Gallegos said. Elective classes such as homemaking, business education, industrial arts and graphic arts are under-enrolled, he said, because academic requirements for graduation have been stiffened. A seventh period might enable more students to take elective classes, Gallegos said.

In the past, the district offered a seventh period before the regular school day for students who needed remedial help, but “not enough (students) wanted to get up that early,� Gallegos said, and the class period was discontinued.