Not surprised at all. I graduated from there in 1987. My freshman class was 1300. My graduating class... 233.
In order to accomodate additional class offerings, a new rolling 8 period schedule was introduced this year. Each day has a letter designation, ie: "A-day, B-day...", and each designated day begins with a different period and the 8th period drops off. So on A-day, we begin with 1st period, end with 7th, and the class scheduled in 8th period does not meet that day. On B-day, we begin with 2nd period, end with 8th, and the class scheduled in 1st period does not meet, and so on.
To do this, time between classes was reduced to 4 minutes. This is a large school, with close to 2,500 students housed in 4 separate houses on four floors. Classes are NOT confined to the "home" house.
Failure to arrive at class on time results in a "unexcused late". 2 "lates" equals an unexcused absence. 3 unexcused absences results in a full grade reduction.
I had the unpleasant opportunity to be in the hallway when the inter-period bell rang. Kids flew out the doors, all but sprinting to their classes. Kids were knocked into walls and lockers...I hate to think of the stairwells. They had no time to get to their lockers, or hit the bathrooms. When the bell sounded again, fully a third of the student body was still in the hallway, and therefore, penalized.
I've written to the school, and to the superintendent, and the rest of the school board about this ludicrous attempt to pack more into the existing schoolday. An extra minute between classes (as was the case last year) would do a lot to normalize things. I guess the teachers just don't want to stay those extra 8 minutes though, because so far, they won't budge.
GRPS is a total joke.
When my family moved to GR from the burbs in the late 80s, I saw quickly how low the standards were compared to where I came from.
Im glad I was finished with the place before it really went into the toilet.