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Parents and students raise concerns about proposed high school schedule; district schedules follow-up meetings
Summary
Community members objected to proposed fall 2026 high-school schedule changes, citing lost class time, longer periods, and impacts on freshmen and AP science instruction. Superintendent said the district held webinars and school-based meetings and will present further details in June.
Parents and students at the Westchester Area School Board meeting expressed concerns about a proposed high-school schedule change that district leaders said could take effect in fall 2026.
Why it matters: Changes to the daily schedule could affect instructional time, course offerings and extracurriculars. Community input at this stage may influence final plans before the district presents a longer schedule-change update in June.
What commenters said: Colin Messinger, a student, told the board the schedule would complicate the transition for incoming freshmen by changing adjustment periods and restructure class lengths. He said the proposal would reduce overall class time by roughly 5 percent'1 an amount he equated to nine days of instruction'and voiced concern that two-period AP science classes could become difficult to follow during extended single blocks.
Superintendent's response and engagement: Doctor Christopher said the district hosted a live webinar about the proposed schedule that about 250 people attended and that roughly 300 people viewed the webinar recording. The district held three follow-up, school-based meetings attended by about 70 community members. Doctor Christopher said additional meetings with students and staff were scheduled, including a session with the district music department and student focus groups. He said the district planned a longer presentation and additional Q&A at board meetings in June and would circulate a brief survey to collect further input.
Other community concerns: During public comment, June DePonzo said she had sought clarification after a prior meeting about how special-education supports were distributed across school-pattern boundaries. She told the board she had met with district staff and that the district's feeder-pattern configuration provides different disability supports across schools; she said that clarification caused her to withdraw a prior objection.
What the board will do next: The district will continue meetings with music, students and staff and present a detailed update at a June board meeting. Doctor Christopher said survey links would be sent to the wider community to gather additional feedback.
Source: Public comment and district superintendent report during the Westchester Area School Board meeting on May 28, 2025.
