WOODBURY—Region 14 schools are set to adopt a new Wednesday schedule for the upcoming school year. This schedule has become a significant topic among Nonnewaug students, who largely have mixed feelings about the changes, while administrators assert that the change will enhance productivity.
“The primary factors in arriving at the new schedule include reducing the monthly schedule disruptions for parents and staff,” says Superintendent Brian Murphy. “Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, Region 14 will have professional learning early student dismissals on the first and third Wednesday of each month.”
Next year’s schedule will indeed be different, but there are many more reasons why the change in the schedule was decided. Beyond just changing the Wednesday professional learning schedule, NHS administration is also examining Monday schedules where all eight academic classes meet.
“I do think, to be totally honest, that a change in the schedule is necessary. According to a lot of students and teachers, people do not like the one through 8 days on Monday,” says Nonnewaug Principal Mykal Kuslis. “We also asked for feedback from the heads of our departments about their strengths and weaknesses. So we’ve come to a consensus to change the schedule to rotate odd and even days.”
While this schedule has not been formalized, next year’s Wednesday alternating professional learning schedule was confirmed at a Board of Education meeting in February.
Administrators believe that the new schedule will improve monthly schedule disruptions for parents and staff due to the early dismissal on Wednesdays. And making school days full-length instead of shorter can have a lot of benefits for students, like creating more employment opportunities, securing higher wages, developing problem-solving skills, and improving the local economy.
“The advantages [of next year’s PL schedule] include more intensive instructional time for students and staff, fewer school disruptions for parents and staff, and more robust and comprehensive professional learning for staff,” says Murphy.
The revised schedule provides staff with additional time to plan and determine effective teaching strategies. Additionally, the new Wednesdays will offer students more opportunities to engage in similar planning and learning activities.
“Teachers will be able to work together in common planning time, so that will help us to adjust our lessons to the new schedule and time frames that accompany it,” says English instructor Maura White. “I am sure that students will be doing much of the same as well. We will certainly strive to create consistency for all of our students throughout this process.”
However, there are drawbacks to this new schedule, including heightened anxiety levels and further disruptions to students’ routines, particularly because they will be dismissed an hour early on select Wednesdays. This adjustment complicates planning, and numerous students oppose it.
“I’m already stressed by all the work assignments and homework I have to do,” said NHS freshman Ashley Miller who foresees next year’s schedule as more conducive to getting her work completed. “I actually use more home time Wednesdays to get my school work assignments done on time.”
With a new schedule may come uncertainty about how next year will look.
“I think that the change is just going to cause more confusion and frustration among teachers and students alike,” says Nonnewaug freshman Adrienne Coelho. “The change will add unnecessary stress. Changing the schedule will add confusion to an already confusing schedule and will make planning when to do assignments and homework all the more stressful on students. It will make it so that an extra layer of planning is needed when it could be avoided altogether.”
However, students are aware that it’s important to think positively about the new schedule and get ready for the next year.
“I think that it will take some getting used to, but I don’t think the change will be a drastic one,” says White. “Nonnewaug students and teachers alike are very adaptable and have taught and learned through many changes throughout the years, from reconstruction to reconfiguration to Covid and more. I think no matter what comes our way, we got this.”
