Horizon East to add advising and flex time, adopt modified block schedule next year

Spencer Stiles (speaker 10) and Horizon East administrators presented the school’s plan to create dedicated morning advising and 30‑minute flex periods on Wednesdays and Thursdays, paired with a modified block schedule. Advising will be staffed by certified staff across the building (including counselors and deans); advising and flex attendance will be tracked in PowerSchool.

Under the proposal, Monday, Tuesday and Friday remain an eight‑period day (43‑minute classes). Wednesdays and Thursdays will begin with 25 minutes of advising, 30 minutes of flex and then a 72‑minute block for either periods 1–4 or 5–8. Administrators said the change reduces transitions, allows lab courses (semester‑long, deeper elective options) to run fully in a single period and helps students build stamina ahead of high‑school 85‑minute blocks.

Administrators described four areas of interest aligned with four of the high‑school career academies and said course descriptions, labs such as microbiology, and multi‑age elective options were developed to broaden student choice. They emphasized that students are not tracked into pathways and retain agency to cross over among areas of interest.

Questions from trustees focused on scheduling logistics, how music and competitive PE fit with elective choices, lunch runs and the effect on teacher touch points; presenters said the new model preserves at least four teacher touch points per week and that staff development has begun to prepare teachers. The board received the presentation and asked administration to report back as implementation proceeds; no formal vote was required.