By VICTORIA LOMACK
Staff writer

Mandatory afterschool was created to help and support students in their learning skills, to help with studying, to be organized, and successful while here at Galena. Students attend mandatory afterschool from 3:50 to 4:50 p.m. on Monday through Thursday to study, catch up on work, and do other school assignments.

How does a student get on the mandatory afterschool list? A teacher recommends students to be on the list if you are missing requirements for your class.

The mandatory after school list normally has around 60 high school students, and the goal is to drop the list.

"The reasoning of mandatory after school is because there are too many students with D’s, F’s, and I’s," said Lisa Shelby, principal at the Galena Interior Learning Academy.

"The beginning of second semester was very steady with the list of 35 students for a week… The mandatory list includes Galena Interior Learning Academy, and Sidney C. Huntington School," she said.

Mr. Gillas, GILA’s science teacher, likes the program. "I think its great, it helps kids that don’t do homework get it done," he said.

Danica Sipary, Senior at Galena Interior Learning Academy, from St. Mary’s, Alaska, said the afterschool program was "a good strategy."

During a typical mandatory afterschool, students are working while the teachers are taking care of their business, grading assignments, and busy with working on organizing school work.