There have been many moments these past couple years where students have thought to themselves, “I wish I had another chance at my last years of high school.” The graduating classes of 2020 and 2021 have been robbed of many experiences, opportunities and normalities.

In the state of Kentucky, this has been recognized as they have proposed a brand new “redo bill” to all students.

The “redo bill”  was recently passed that gives student grades K-12 the opportunity to say they would prefer to stay in their current grade level for the next school year if they feel as though it was not beneficial enough. The bill states that a student may, “request to use the 2021-2022 school year as a supplemental school year to retake or supplement the courses or grades the student has already taken.

A retaken high school course under this subsection shall not count as an additional credit towards graduation unless the student failed the original course. Retaking a course under this section shall count towards full-time enrollment for the student.” There are many things to keep in mind as a student who is given this type of opportunity like: educational benefits, athletic opportunities and social opportunities. 

Everyone is familiar with the challenges that virtual education has brought to students and their families during the pandemic. Virtual school is an obstacle that depends greatly on a student’s ability to be self accountable and self motivated. This is not a trait that many young learners have been able to achieve yet causing them to lack in the amount of studies they are able to truly get in.

In the case for the youngest students, their household family members were also held to a great responsibility of having to help teach their children how to adapt to this new way of learning. Many parents see this “redo bill” as a chance for their child to get another chance at a real learning experience. It is up to students and their families to decide if they’d prefer to  continue on to their next grade level or repeat their current one. 

 For high schoolers, this bill is especially beneficial for athletes. Those who depended on their junior and senior years to help them achieve their athletic goals were stripped of that advantage the day lockdown started. The bill does say that the athletes who chose to make the decision to repeat their current grade level must keep their age in mind to keep it fair. Those who are turning 19 before or on August 1st, 2021 will not be eligible for their athletic season. For many students, they rely on their sport and the scholarships that they can receive for it to be able to pursue their dreams at their higher education. Since COVID-19, many camps and seasons have been cancelled causing athletes to lack in the exposure they would have received from college coaches. This new opportunity that is being offered to them is giving them a chance to make up for the lost time and pursue the dream they wanted from the beginning. 

The final opportunity that many students in the JCPS school district will consider is the social ramifications of redoing their current grade level. By choosing to stay in their current grade level instead of moving on with the rest of their class, they are put in classes with a whole new group of students. Many students have been in classes with the same people since elementary school and the struggle of having to see your classmates move on to the next chapter in their life while you chose to repeat your chapter has to be difficult.

Especially for the seniors, they have to keep in mind that they will not get the chance to walk across the stage with the friends that they’ve had since the beginning of high school. While this social aspect of pursuing the “redo” year is important, it may not be the biggest factor for some students.

For the JCPS school district, students and families will have to quickly decide what they want to prioritize in their lives to be able to say “yes” or “no” to the “redo bill”. For the families who hold their child’s athletic or academic career in high regards and feel as though they have had to sacrifice too much for COVID-19, this bill is a huge win. For those who feel as though they got the experience they needed, they are able to sit back and watch their fellow classmates succeed on their second chance at a normal school year.

Click here to read the full bill.