On Tuesday, Sept. 22, Westside High School will be hosting a make-up ACT test for senior students who were unable to take the test last spring. According to Principal Jay Opperman, administration wanted to provide a test-taking opportunity for seniors due to the large amount who missed the ACT test because of COVID-19-related complications earlier this year.

“The test is really a ‘rain date’ for the March 24th day that the juniors were supposed to take the state test,” Opperman said. “We’re just providing an opportunity since we know that our current seniors have lost not only that day, but a lot of tests were cancelled or limited in seating [due to the pandemic], so it was difficult for students to get in.”

As the ACT test will be taking place while the pandemic is still ongoing, the Westside administration has taken many precautions in preparation for test day. According to Assistant Principal Lois Rasgorshek, in order to allow for social distancing, students will be split up into smaller groups and put in a variety of classrooms.

“All of our teachers [will be proctoring the test] that day,” Rasgorshek said. “I have 74 different classrooms for students who are testing, [and] six to eight students will be in each room. Room 220 will [have] 50 students, but that room is meant for 225 students total, so it’s completely de-densified.”

While some ACT tests require students to sign up online, Opperman said the Sept. 22 ACT will be the same as other state tests and will not require students to sign themselves up.

““For the state-administered test, students do not need to do anything to register,” Opperman said. “It’s only for the national test dates on Saturdays that students have to register through the ACT website. [For this test], all you have to do is show up.”

Although administration has had to take many precautions because of the pandemic, Opperman said he is confident the day will run smoothly as long as students arrive at school on time.

“Students should be here by 8:00 a.m.,” Opperman said. “Most years we fill out the basic information in advance of the test, but [this year] we will have to do it before testing, so we really need people to be here on time.”

Senior Elsie McCabe said she thought the test-taking environment in the school sounded good considering the circumstances.

“Six [to eight] people to a classroom seems fine,” McCabe said. “Especially considering that that is about how many people we would have in a class on a 50% [capacity] school day.”

Although it is not a typical school day, Rasgorshek said that students need to bring a variety of materials on test day, one of them being a mask.

“[Students] need to have either their Westside ID or their driver’s license with them on [test day],” Rasgorshek said. “They can also bring an approved calculator, a snack and water bottle, and number two pencils, not mechanical ones. They should leave their phone at home or in their car, since it can’t come into the testing room. They should also wear a mask.”

While some students have been participating in 100% remote learning this school year, Rasgorshek said that they are free to come to school for the ACT test as well.

“[100% remote students] are welcome to come in for the test because of how much we have de-densified the school,” Rasgorshek said. “That is their decision. We have made [the school] as safe as we possibly can.”