The Washington County Kirkwood Regional Center will be changing their class schedules next year. Tera Pickens, Washington County Regional Center Director, said that the decision was made with input directly from students and staff from local high schools. Pickens explains the new schedule, “With that feedback and all of that research, next year we will have two morning academy time slots, 7:45 to 9:15 is our earliest time. And then we will have another time slot that will be from 9:30 until 11 a.m. So almost all of our students will be meeting in the morning, and then we will have a couple of afternoon options, so some of our career technical education academies are super hands-on and they require a little more time. We will still have two options next year in the afternoon meeting 12:20 to 2:40 p.m. which is our auto collision, restoration, repair and our welding academy.”  The change will be taking place for the 2025/2026 school year, and the hope is that this will give students more freedom and flexibility for extracurricular or part time job opportunities in the afternoon and after school. Currently, the center offers morning and afternoon classes, but has seen very few students enrolling in the afternoon offerings.