Family is a pillar upon which many American lives are built upon, yet over the last few years, that pillar has seen cracks and damage inflicted upon it with the growing responsibilities of the average American high school student. Students are now expected to take advanced placement courses to make themselves distinguishable from their peers, participate in several clubs to be involved, and score high enough on ACT and SAT tests to separate them from the rest of the population. However, this busy schedule has forced out the opportunity to grow up, and alongside one’s family. This year Katy ISD has made one Wednesday in every month homework-free, but the question is: will one night be enough to affect student’s workloads?

“I think that the Family Night is a solid step in the right direction. It is nice to have a night where I can just relax and spend time with my family. The past few years, there have barely ever been opportunities like that for me and my siblings, and I believe it is healthy for students to foster strong bonds with their family as they can always be someone to lean on,” said junior Mena Albayati.

Katy ISD cites that it is important for the district, and the community, to encourage families to come together. Students receive the benefit of no homework, and the time spent usually doing homework can be devoted to cultivating those strong family bonds that can be strained in a student’s adolescent years.

“Although the idea is a great one, I still can be assigned homework that is not technically given to us on Family Nights. Some teachers have given me homework on the night before a Family Night and had it due the night following Family Night. As with any program, the first year is a test, and I see this as a flaw in its system,” said Albayati.

As described by Albayati, students may be assigned more than the usual amount of homework earlier in the week and then be given a due date that directly follows the Family Night. Several students have voiced these complaints with the system and are hoping to see an amendment to this issue in the following years.

“In my experience with Family Night, it represented a period for me to unwind during the week, especially with my AP classes. I know several of my peers face similar amounts of high-stress nights, and Family Nights can serve as a way to help alleviate that stress, even temporarily,” said Albayati.

As studies from universities such New York University continue to pile up, it is generally acknowledged that most students are faced with chronic stress in the modern high school environment. Nights where students can take a perceived break from that stress represent a positive change in all Katy ISD schools.

“I hope to see Family Nights continue to grow and improve within Katy ISD in the coming years,” said Albayati.