Ditching high school flex period
More time for teachers or fewer clubs for students?
GREENWICH — Flex time at Greenwich High School may soon be a thing of the past but students said they are concerned about what that will mean for the future of clubs.
Right now, flex period takes place at the end of the school day from 2:50 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. It was added when the high school’s start and end time was pushed back a few years ago. Flex time has since been a designated period for students to get extra help and meet with their school clubs. It also allows student athletes time to get to sports games without missing class.
Principal Ralph Mayo has proposed eliminating flex time and giving more in-class time to teachers of core subjects. Right now, almost every class period is 53 minutes. Lunch block is 55 minutes. The proposed schedule will change each class period to 55 minutes with school finished at 2:55 p.m. The current school day ends at 3:15 p.m.
The proposal has the support of much of the staff, Lillian Perone, president of the Greenwich Education Association, said at the Thursday Board of Education meeting. The teachers union is in support of the change, saying it “increases our core instructional (time) by 29 hours.”
“I’m anticipating that to be a positive instructional time for all students,” she said.
But students who attended the meeting said they worried that the change would be a problem for some of the clubs.
“I believe that large clubs will not drastically be impacted by the removal of flex because they will have enough committed members to meet before and after school,” Omar Galal, GHS student body vice president, said. “However, I’m most concerned with smaller clubs, the rest of the 160 clubs that de
pend on flex.”
School board members had their own questions about the change. Members asked what the administration’s plans are to ensure students will still have access to club meetings without the designated flex time. BOE Chair Karen Kowalski said more students will be needing late buses since without flex, club meetings would most likely take place before or after school.
“There are fewer buses for late bus so it does take everyone a little longer to get home and that would be some of my concern as to how to accommodate those kids and the number of buses and when they would actually get home,” Kowalski said.
Mayo said right now GHS has four late buses offered Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays that currently leave at 5 p.m. Mayo said his team will look into changing the late bus time to 4:30 p.m.
“It shouldn’t take that long for the students to get home with four buses,”
Mayo said. “If we thought that it was a major problem, there’s a possibility that we could at least add a fifth bus, but again that adds money to the budget.”
Club meetings can be held virtually or they can meet during Advisor Base, Mayo said.
“We’re really good at Google Meets now and clubs can meet through video as well,” Mayo said. “Kids can go home right after school and jump on and have a club meeting.”
School board member Laura Kostin said students who require extra
time on assessments have historically used flex time to complete their work.
“How would they be accommodated if (flex) were to be eliminated?” Kostin asked.
Mayo said students can stay after school to complete a test or go to a learning center during the school day to finish their work. Teachers will still be available before or after school to assist students.
“But teachers aren’t going anywhere,” Mayo said. “The students are leaving at five of three, not the teachers.”