Students hoping to change out of their honors, On-Ramps or AP classes this year found themselves delayed by a new policy that, up until Sept. 3, prevented them from switching classes.

Teachers of advanced classes decided together with counselors that before students can change out of those classes, they should first wait three weeks, as opposed to the five days it’s been in previous years.

“The reason that came into being, [the three-week policy], is so that teachers could get to know the student, their work ethic, and potential, and if the student could be successful in that course,” lead counselor Heather Huffaker said.

The process to change classes once Sept. 3 had come was described by junior Drake Chavez, as “Complicated.”

“I had to get a signature from my parents, my teacher, and [assistant principal Heather] Wilson,” Chavez said. It wasn’t until he met these requirements that he could change out of class.

According to the new policy, students must also “attend tutorials, correct any failing assignments, and turn in all missing work,” Huffaker said.

The motions needed to change classes are “Incentives to care about your grades as you switch out,” Junior Christian Tomlinson said, “but it took some time to do it.”

Further, as Chavez puts it, “If you’re already failing, you have to get good grades in order to switch out. So if you’re struggling in a class, it almost makes it impossible to leave.”

However, both Tomlinson and Chavez said they believe that the new policy helped them keep their grades up as they switched out of their On-Ramps U.S. history and physics classes, respectively, and feel that changing was a big step into a better year.