Southington High School committee recommends tighter senior dismissal rules to preserve courses and class coverage

Southington — School leaders described a months-long review and a proposed reconfiguration of the high school senior dismissal program at the Southington Board of Education meeting on May 7.

The committee leading the review said the current system allows many seniors to leave midday without a requirement that the time be tied to work, internships or other supervised learning. "I noticed every day between 12:15 and 12:45, between 250 and 300 students are leaving the building," said the high school administrator who introduced the proposal. The committee warned that the pattern reduces enrollment in Block 4, prevents some senior-level and AP classes from running, and strains staff coverage.

Why it matters: Committee members said the exodus is preventing students from taking electives and college-credit courses and is creating schedule imbalances that force some classes to run with very low enrollment while others are overcrowded. Marissa Kudlow, the math department lead, said the school currently has no senior math class during Block 4 because too many seniors request dismissal; "we have 87 students and 73 students that would like to take" particular senior math courses but cannot because scheduling cannot support them.

The data presented: Tina Riccio, head of the world language department, and Marissa Kudlow summarized two sets of figures. In the fall the committee saw between 56% and 69% of seniors leaving between 12:15 and 12:45 (269 of 477 on A days, 307 of 477 on B days). Spring numbers were higher: committee slides showed 327 leaving on one day and 301 on the alternate day. The presenters also reported that roughly 43–54% of seniors leaving had previously failed a class; committee members said those students miss required supports when not present.

The proposal: The committee recommended notifying seniors who meet a weighted GPA threshold of 3.65 (rounded to 3.7) and who have at least 20 credits by the end of junior year; that cohort would be eligible to request senior dismissal (about 171 students, roughly 36% of the incoming senior class). The committee recommended that early dismissal remain "earned" rather than automatic. Exceptions would be made for seniors with approved internships, mentorships or job-shadow experiences, and an appeal process would allow students who miss the thresholds to petition with counselor and teacher support. "We created an appeal process," said a committee member, describing requirements such as counselor verification and letters of recommendation from teachers.

Board concerns and responses: Several board members questioned whether a GPA cutoff would be the right limiter. "If you're going to exclude the students with the highest averages, you're denying some of our top students access to opportunities," said one member, arguing the formula could unintentionally penalize strong students who still have legitimate scheduling or family needs. Administrators responded that the goal is to preserve the ability to run elective and AP classes across all blocks and to encourage students to pursue AP, college and career pathways. The committee said it intends to strike a balance by using the appeal process for special circumstances and by allowing students to opt in even if eligible.

Implementation and next steps: Administrators said staffing levels will shape final implementation; they also noted the committee has started communicating with families via ParentSquare and has already discussed the proposal directly with juniors during interviews. "We've gotten many parents reaching out to me with questions," a presenter said, and the committee plans additional outreach before any final board action. No final policy vote was taken on May 7; the board and committee signaled that the plan will be refined and returned for future consideration once staffing and scheduling details are known.

Context: Presenters tied the recommendation to district priorities highlighted in the recent NESC accreditation review, which commended curricular and instructional coherence while recommending continued growth in crediting and course offerings. The committee said the proposal aims to increase student access to rigorous courses and to reduce lost instructional opportunities caused by large-scale midday departures.

The board requested detailed staffing projections and a communication plan for families before taking further action.