On Thursday, March 5, all juniors are expected to report to lecture halls to take what may be the most important exam of their life, the SAT. In the past, only junior students who were required to take the exam attended school on SAT day. The juniors would then report to their IMPACT classrooms and take the test, accompanied by approximately 20 other students. Once they were finished with the strenuous exam, they were excused to leave for the day. All underclassmen and seniors were expected to complete online assignments assigned by their teachers, and juniors were excused from coursework for that day.
This year, however, the administration has made the collective decision for all high school students to report to class all day long. This means that other students will be walking in the halls of LHS throughout testing. Juniors will be testing in lecture halls and the upstairs G-wing hallway classrooms. The juniors are expected to report back to their classes after they are finished with the almost three-hour exam, some even expect tests in their 5th, 6th or 7th periods.
“I was already stressed out about taking the SAT this week, and knowing I still have to go to class and do work just makes me feel exhausted already,” junior Sofia Herrera said. “I understand that the reason why they’re doing this is that we missed a lot of school, but there is no way I can function after this test. I just want to go home and relax and not have to worry whether or not I understand my trigonometry homework or if I finished my chemistry work.”
There has been no public announcement providing a reason for the change, other than that students need to be in class. This was likely influenced by the frequent delays and E-learning days during the winter months, as well as recent spikes in D’s and F’s as displayed around the LHS campus. Despite possible issues that may arise, several staff members, including Pre-Calculus, Algebra II and Trigonometry teacher Lana Swanson, believe the benefits of this decision outweigh the harm.
“I truly believe the structure will be more beneficial for the majority of students,” Swanson said. “Here is the situation: having one-quarter of the student body impacted because they must take the SAT is more conducive to learning. The other three-quarters of the student body will be able to continue learning. We need every available moment to instruct as much as we are able in the lower grades to support those students’ long-term progress.”
The average composite SAT score among Logansport High School students as of 2025 is 890, which falls in the 27th percentile of Indiana schools. Although Logansport High School’s test results are below average already, several LHS students believe changing the format of the SAT testing day will only decrease positive results.
“While I know the school is going to do its best to make the school distraction-free for us, I know there are bound to be students messing around,” Herrera said. “I think they will be far more than last year’s SAT schedule, with all the students still going about their normal day, so there will be a decent amount of noise in the school.”
As shown in the infographic, only 13.2%, or 34 LHS students, meet both the English and mathematics benchmarks on the SAT as of 2025. This is an 11% deficit compared to Indiana’s total percentage of 24.4. There are numerous reasons that may explain this large deficit: above-average population of English learner students, school funding, resources, curriculum, staff shortages, etc. Since Logansport already doesn’t perform well in test scores, students predict even more difficulty approaching the state average.
“I believe that, obviously, there’s a chance for improvement, but it’s highly unlikely,” senior Kamyah Adams said. “I think that there’s a lot of room for error within the new system. I am intrigued to see where it takes us, but I don’t think this is very beneficial to anyone who’s testing.”
Indiana is among just 14 states that are contractually obligated to administer the SAT to all students. This has resulted in a statewide 100% participation rate, but only a 24.5% composite passing rate. The debate about whether the SAT is truly important has been circulating for decades, but most recently, its significance has resurged.
Beginning with the 2021 application cycle, numerous in-state schools, including Purdue University, Indiana University, University of Notre Dame and Butler University, all adopted their SAT policies to test-optional. However, in recent years, some universities have made advancements back to their roots and now follow a test-preferred policy. Other in-state institutions still use test scores to assist scholarship, direct admissions and honors placements, and may favor an applicant with a submitted test score over one without. The exam is undoubtedly gaining its significance again and, whether the university is test-optional or test-preferred, is very instrumental in the college admissions process.
“It can be very important for that student,” Achieve Center and Early College Coordinator Abby Lundy said. “It’s free; they don’t have to pay for it. If you want to take it again, that’s a $65 cost to retake it, so it’s very important. A lot of schools are going back to requiring the SAT for their applications and admissions. So, definitely take it seriously and make sure you do your best.”
On paper, the situation is simple: students need to attend school whenever possible. Some students in question, however, have vocalized that this situation is more complex, and one day of in-person learning may jeopardize a very important exam for more than 200 students. March 5 will be a huge step for the students in the Class of 2027 pursuing a post-secondary education. This exam is instrumental to college and scholarship applications; a lot of juniors’ futures reside in this one assessment. Thus, it may be beneficial for the administration to be cautious when restructuring the SAT testing day schedule.
“I need a quiet environment to do my best,” Herrera said. “I’m already under a lot of stress, not only with the SAT, but with my other classes. It’s very hard for me to concentrate, especially with the language portion, if I hear talking around me. I won’t be able to actually read the text or answer the question because everything feels a bit jumbled.”
