Cougars returned from summer break to a lot of changes around campus. Not only did students have entirely new course loads, but the structure of Creek’s schedule changed fundamentally. Classes now start at 7:15 a.m. as opposed to 7:20 a.m. last year. However, classes conclude at 2:40 p.m., ten minutes earlier than last year.

Another noticeable change was the addition of a new lunch period.

“The change to a fourth lunch was a district-wide decision. One of the main reasons for the change was to alleviate the number of students in the cafeteria,” Frank Fraley, Associate Principal, said.

An additional reason for the adjusted schedule was provided on the district website.

“Cypress-Fairbanks ISD is adjusting campus bell schedules and lunch periods for the 2022-2023 school year due to the nationwide shortage of school bus drivers and nutrition services workers,” the website reads. “The adjusted bell schedules will ensure more consistent bus pickup and drop-off times for our students and will reduce the number of school bus drivers needed per tier. The adjusted lunch periods will shorten the meal lines and decrease the number of students per lunch period.”

Creek also welcomed 55 new faculty members including four administrators, five para professionals, three support staff, six long term substitutes and 35 teachers.

“We hire staff members based on our projected incoming student population,” Fraley said. “We used as many classrooms as possible to accommodate the growth, so some classrooms that were not rooms before are being used for instruction. Some students are even participating in distance learning for a few courses.”

Before the school year starts, students can take steps to ensure their schedule is as accurate as possible.

“Student Scheduling is one of the largest challenges that we deal with when there is such a large and diverse [student] population,” said Fraley. “Students’ interests and needs drive what we offer on our campus. It really helps when students are very confident and comfortable with their choices in the spring, so while we are building the schedules, we do not have to perform so many last-minute changes when school begins. Students should have some serious conversations with their guardians and counselors to create a plan that best supports their personal goals and interests.”