Greenwich High School leaders say ending FlexBlock has reduced congestion and preserved activities

Principal Ralph Mayo told the Greenwich Board of Education that the high school’s decision to eliminate FlexBlock has increased instructional time and calmed dismissal and campus movement. "With the elimination of flex time," Mayo said, "the building is so much calmer now."

The change followed a staff survey and an on-campus review. Mayo said the 2023–24 staff survey showed 202 of 223 teachers favored eliminating FlexTime, and administrators reported many students struggled to use the open block effectively, left campus without permission and created conflicts with athletics and dismissal logistics. Mayo said adjustments to traffic control — including changing officer placement, directing buses out of the front circle and making a Driveway 4 exit a right turn only — have reduced congestion at Hillside and Post Road.

Karen Foster, who compiled club participation data for the high school, told the board the number and timing of extracurricular meetings have mostly returned to pre-FlexBlock patterns. "We now currently have it's actually 147 active clubs this year," Foster said, citing historical comparisons to the 2017–18 and 2021–22 school years. Foster said about 36% of clubs now meet before school and 57% meet after school, similar to pre-FlexBlock distributions, and the school has received roughly 71 new club applications this year.

Administrators described steps intended to preserve student access to academic help and activities: dedicated content-area learning centers that operate during all blocks, Room 900 opened as an after-school study hall, and a late bus run at about 4:15 p.m. (later adjusted toward 4:30 p.m. on some days). Athletic staff reported higher participation in fall and winter seasons and said coaches have more structured practice time. Pete (athletics staff) said the school saw roughly 35 to 40 more students participating in winter and fall seasons than in prior years.

Board members asked administrators to keep monitoring club composition and access for students who also participate in sports; several members noted that students often make up missed work before school, and coaches and counselors help identify at-risk students. The board did not take formal action on the topic; administrators said they will return with updates as they monitor participation and student support needs.

Ending: Administrators characterized the change as a "positive" trade-off — more instructional time and fewer dismissal issues — while acknowledging the need to keep tracking whether certain student groups lose access to clubs because of schedule conflicts. They said additional adjustments to bus schedules, study-hall hours and club advertising remain possible.