Northampton High School Principal Ben Tagliere presented an informational preview to the school committee on Jan. 8 of a proposed alternating-day schedule (A/B) that would allow some third-period electives to run on alternating days as half‑credit courses.

Tagliere said the district currently operates a 4-by-4 block schedule with semester-long courses and that the proposed model would let certain electives meet, for example, Monday/Wednesday/Friday in an A week and Tuesday/Thursday in a B week (or vice versa), with the pattern reversing the following week. Over two weeks, each alternating course would meet five times, he said, and the intent is to concentrate student interest into one period so more electives can run with adequate enrollment.

A principal rationale presented for the change is special-education scheduling: Tagliere said the current options create a large gap between intensive support (about 375 minutes a week for some students) and a minimal option (about 30 minutes twice weekly). The A/B model aims to create an intermediate option (roughly 180 minutes a week) and to free space for students receiving support to take electives they currently cannot access.

Committee members and other attendees raised questions about scheduling logistics, guidance capacity, staffing and compliance with IEPs. Member Stein and others urged caution because last year the district struggled to place students into classes and needed to add teachers to meet demand; they asked how the alternating schedule would affect continuity in core subjects (particularly math) and special-education service delivery. Tagliere said departments had proposed electives for the pilot, that guidance and faculty had begun planning and that the administration intends to return the full program of studies for a required vote in February so students can register in March.

Tagliere emphasized the change is optional for students: "This doesn't change anybody's current experience if they don't want it to," he said. He also described the proposal as exploratory: the administration will collect more feedback from students (including those in learning-strategy programs), staff and the district’s special-education partners before the committee's February vote.

The committee did not vote on the program of studies at the Jan. 8 meeting; administration indicated the item will be on the February agenda and must be finalized to support March course registration timelines.