As many students know, study hall is available to sophomore student-athletes. When they participate in a school sport, they can use their physical education (P.E.) class time to catch up on work. However, as of the 2026-2027 school year, study hall will no longer be available to students taking P.E.
This decision was implemented by Athletic Director Timothy Keller, who felt that the study hall was a waste of his time. “Mostly, it was too much paperwork that I didn’t feel like doing,” Keller explained. “I am tired of moving people in and out of P.E. class. It is easier just to assume to keep them in P.E. class; they should run more laps around the track and then go to practice.”Given Keller’s heavy workload, study hall was the last thing he wanted to think about. He also felt that student athletes need more training throughout the day, and P.E. was the perfect time for it.
When Freshmen P.E. Erin Oliveira learned of the new ban, she viewed it as a positive change for the Mills community. “I was very excited because that means I get to see my students all the time instead of just when they’re not in their sport,” Oliveira expressed. She continued, emphasizing, “Students have been athletes for a very long time in school, and now we are just catering to them.”
On the other hand, when Mills students who relied on study hall to complete their work learned of the ban, they were unhappy. When speaking to freshman athlete, Sydney Kerwick (9), she sees this new ban as “annoying.” “Sophomore year’s workload will start to get heavier,” Kerwick says. “I can just imagine how late I will have to stay up doing my homework after practices.”
However, Oliveira thinks differently. She argued, “I actually think it’s going to force them to really pay attention to their time management.” She believes that because students have poor time management, they aren’t able to finish their schoolwork after school sports. With effective planning, students can complete their assignments on time while participating in all physical activities.
Lastly, sophomore P.E. teacher Lena Mugs shares her opinion on this new ban. “Kids eventually have to start multitasking in life,” she stated. “I think the sooner you realize that there are things in life that you have to do, you just learn to do them.”
