Eastchester board reviews proposed rotating 7‑period schedule with advisory, longer class periods

The Eastchester Board of Education at a work session reviewed a proposed schedule for the district’s secondary schools that would move to a rotating seven‑period day with 49‑minute classes, built‑in advisory and weekly office hours, and an embedded multi‑wave lunch. Superintendent Dr. Valente and administrators said the plan is intended to expand electives, increase time for deeper learning and social‑emotional learning, and better align the high school day with college‑style class lengths. No formal action was taken; administrators said a community forum will be scheduled and implementation is being planned for September.

The proposal, presented by Chris Welch, who led the scheduling work, lays out a seven‑period rotation in which most classes meet four times per week, science courses meet six times per week with two double‑block lab periods, and physical education meets twice weekly. "The schedule consists of a 7 period day with classes of 49 in length," Welch said. The plan would allow students to take up to 8.5 classes (an extra half rotation), move some half‑year electives to full‑year, and free space for an additional elective or required courses such as a possible state financial literacy requirement for 2026‑27.

Administrators said the schedule embeds lunch within period five using three lunch waves so every student has daily lunch time attached to that class. Welch described period five as longer than other periods and divided into early, middle and…