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High school director flags schedule, culture and career‑academy work; block schedule and course participation highlighted
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Summary
Deborah Luffey, CASD director of grades 9–12, told the board the high school divisions are focusing on culture, academic rigor and operational efficiency amid multiple changes including a block schedule at Cassius, adoption of Schoology, and plans for career academies and expanded AP/IB participation.
Deborah Luffey, director of grades 9–12 for the Chambersburg Area School District, briefed the board on Oct. 13 about cultural, curricular and operational priorities at the high school level, including the Career Magnet School and Cassius campuses.
Luffey said her three pillars are culture (engagement and clear communication during change), academic excellence (alignment with Keystone exams and course sequencing) and operational efficiency (scheduling and staffing). "I have 3 pillars that I'm focusing on. 1 is the culture... The academic excellence leaning towards that school of distinction by 2030... and then, making sure that we are an operational efficient part of the district," she said.
Luffey described significant changes at Cassius this year, including a shift from a traditional seven‑period schedule to a block schedule with four 90‑minute classes, and the second year of iPad use at the high school with implementation of the Schoology learning management system. She said those combined changes are creating pressure on staff and students and reduce in‑day time for clubs, remediation and mentoring. Luffey said district leaders plan to examine schedule configurations to provide a flex period or Trojan time in future years so noninstructional supports do not displace classroom time.
On advanced coursework, Luffey said enrollment in AP classes rose to about 803 seats (up roughly 120 from the prior year) and IB course participation increased by about 100 seats, but not all students currently take the corresponding AP/IB exams. She said the district will work to increase exam participation and alignment between rigor and assessments.
Luffey also described career academies and a recent visit to an out‑of‑district model program (the Ignite Institute) to inform academy development; she said a future presentation on academies is planned.
Board members asked about students’ time for extracurriculars, support for teachers adapting to schedule changes, and whether students are included in planning; Luffey said student voice was not yet built into all planning processes but indicated staff are working on communication and engagement plans.
Luffey’s presentation was discussion and planning; the district did not adopt new schedule or policy changes at the Oct. 13 meeting.
