Holliston students, parents urge pause on rushed AB schedule change

Students, parents and some teachers on March 13 told the Holliston School Committee that a planned change at Holliston High School to an alternating two‑day, eight‑block schedule is being implemented too quickly and will increase student workload and stress.

Student speakers said the district’s outreach and guidance on how the new schedule will affect course selection, Advanced Placement classes and students with disabilities has been inconsistent. “The vast majority of students believe that we have not had our voices heard,” said Steven Lima, a junior, later quoting prior remarks he said were made at a meeting: “general consensus is the current schedule is awful.” Oliver Brown, a junior who circulated a petition opposing the AB plan, said more than 100 students signed and that many worry the change will increase homework and fragment learning.

The school committee chair acknowledged the concerns and said the committee would press administration for better communication. “We are listening. We are hearing,” Cynthia, School Committee chair, said, adding that the committee would return student comments to school leaders and explore adjustments that might reduce anxiety.

Teachers and staff offered mixed perspectives. Sean Bilodeau, the high‑school band director, said the scheduling committee had worked for months on a framework to increase elective access and more consistent instructional time; he said union negotiation issues narrowed the options available. Tracy Flecker, a parent and teacher, urged students to attend meetings and “think for yourselves,” saying many districts that use similar schedules manage them successfully.

Administrators said they will continue scheduled meetings and counseling sessions to help students choose classes. Mr. List, the high‑school administrator conducting schedule workshops, has run presentations for parents and students and will be available for small‑group and individual meetings, committee members said. Course selection opens March 21 and closes April 4; counselors will join students during the week of March 24 to review selections, the committee said.

Students and parents asked for concrete mitigations — for example, limiting seniors to seven credits if needed, adding optional study blocks or reducing the weight of final exams — and for clear, centralized survey results. The committee agreed to ask administration for specific next steps it can take in the coming week and to hold informal office hours and a public session after the administration’s March 19 presentation so families can ask individual scheduling questions.

The committee did not change the implementation timeline during the meeting; members emphasized that many of the technical steps to build schedules in PowerSchool have already begun and that reversing course could require a reset of work already under way.

The committee encouraged students who had not yet spoken to send written comments to the full committee so administrators can address specific schedule impacts before course selection closes.