Londonderry board approves LMS program of studies, moves middle school to trimester schedule

LONDONDERRY — The Londonderry School Board on May 5 approved the Londonderry Middle School Program of Studies for the 2026–27 school year, endorsing a move from quarterly to trimester grading and a school schedule designed to boost focused instructional time.

Megan, one of the presenters, told the board, “We are returning next year to a trimester grading model for all of our courses, so from quarters to trimester.” The board approved the change by voice vote (motion by Amanda; second by Tim), 4-0.

Why it matters: Administrators said the trimester structure will provide more frequent, meaningful feedback and allow teachers and students to balance formative and summative work across longer related-arts experiences. The plan lengthens most class periods on days two and four to roughly 54 minutes and consolidates the remedial/enrichment block once called “storm” into a rebranded focused learning time (FLT) on days one and three. “We’re changing storm time to get away from that term,” a presenter said, describing FLTs as targeted windows for educators to support struggling students or provide enrichment for high performers.

What changes: Related-arts courses will expand from shorter choice blocks into 12-week trimesters so students spend more time developing skills in art, computer science, woodworking and music. The district also plans curricular changes: a middle-school rollout of Amplify ELA for grades 6–7, a renamed CP Physical Earth and Space course to align with high-school programming, and expanded advanced pathways that allow students to earn credits (honors algebra, CP algebra, CP Spanish/French/German and CP physical earth and space).

Board discussion focused on practical impacts: members asked how FLTs would balance intervention and challenge and how longer periods would affect transitions and supervisory coverage. Administrators said the new schedule is a compromise between preserving targeted small-group time and increasing continuous instructional minutes for core subjects. They pledged to review implementation after the first 6–12 weeks and adjust based on teacher feedback.

Implementation and next steps: The program of studies was approved for adoption for the 2026–27 school year; staff will move to implement the curriculum pilots and schedule changes over the summer, including professional development and communications with families. The board’s vote was 4-0 in favor.

The board discussed the item during the May 5 meeting at Londonderry High School; additional operational details and monitoring plans are expected to be presented at future board meetings.