Due to budget cuts, the January regents were not going to be administered this school year. However, thanks to private funding, the January regents will now be in session. A few affluent New Yorkers have each chipped in $250,000 to save these exams.
    If it wasn’t for the private funding, thousands of high school seniors would’ve been in danger of not graduating. The January regents would’ve given them the opportunity to fulfill their regents requirements.
    Ms. Joann Peters, Assistant Principal of the history department, said that if these budget cuts were in effect this year, students would have to take the exam in August. Taking the test in January is better because students have a fresh memory of the subject at the time, which helps them score higher than they would have in August. Students forget 80 percent of what they learned when they take the test in August.
    Students were happy to hear about the reinstatement of the January regents.
    “It’s a great opportunity for students who need to get their credits on time to graduate,” said Albert Murzakhanov ’12.  
    “Dragging out the regents until June increases the stress level of students and it decreases the material they remember,” said Kate Zarudna ’12.
    The unique aspect of this administration of the January regents is that it’s the first time that the state didn’t fund it.
    “Whether it will happen next year there’s no guarantee,” said Ms. Peters.