Current schedule has eight 42-minute periods; Daher’s would feature six 58-minute periods
By John Tredrea, Staff Writer
Central High School Principal Michael Daher wants to change his school’s schedule from an eight-period day to a rotating six-period day.
He said the change would eliminate widespread schedule conflicts between wellness (physical education) and science lab and between lunch and science lab. He also said it would mean many more students would get all their first-choice courses.
Mr. Daher told the school board Monday night that he is “absolutely convinced” the change would be “the best thing” for the students at the high school.
The current schedule has eight 42-minute periods. The one that Mr. Daher wants would basically switch to six 58-minute periods (first period would actually be 64 minutes long, but it would include homeroom, which currently is held as a separate entity). All students would get a 42-minute lunch after third period.
The board was wary of the proposal for two reasons: cost and faculty reaction.
Mr. Daher said the new schedule could require up to five new teachers, at an estimated cost of $65,000 per teacher, for pay and benefits.
Board member Daniel O’Connor said that, while the proposal had obvious academic merit, he’d “have a hard time supporting these costs” in the current economic climate. Board members Leigh Peterson and Jim Wulf also expressed concerns about the cost.
Board member Aaron Tellier said he was concerned about how the high school’s teachers felt about the proposed change. Mr. Daher said that, under the proposed rotating schedule, teachers would have five classes a day, as most of the high school teachers do now (some have six classes) However, the classes would be 16-minutes longer than they are now.
Mr. Daher said he didn’t know how many teachers were against the proposal. He said he had not polled them and wasn’t going to do so. He did say that his perception was that some teachers are for the change, some are “on the fence” and some are against it.
According to a Hopewell Valley Education Association spokeswoman, “The teachers have not been all together to discuss it (the proposed schedule) as an entire faculty.” This could be a topic at Friday’s in-service session.
According to Mr. Daher, the “change to longer periods would not violate the teachers’ contract. We would still be within the allotted times for maximum number of teaching minutes in a day and the average number of teaching minutes per day.”
Under the rotating schedule proposed by Mr. Daher, each subject would meet three times each four days.
Interim Superintendent Thomas Butler said high schools “all over the country” are enacting changes similar to the one recommended by Mr. Daher.
The board agreed to consider the matter further. A decision is expected within the next two months.

