Parents, students and school staff urge Stamford board to pause flexible schedule and preserve office support staff

At the Stamford Board of Education meeting on June 28, more than two dozen parents, students and school staff used an extended public‑comment period to press the board to pause a proposed flexible high‑school schedule and to preserve school office support specialist (OSS) positions.

The concerns were raised after Superintendent Dr. Lucero delivered a brief report announcing district communications and a ribbon cutting for a new welcome center. Speakers said the proposed schedule — which would compress a full year of some courses into single‑semester 84‑minute blocks — and proposed OSS reductions risk harming instruction, equity and day‑to‑day school operations.

Why it matters: Parents and staff framed the proposals as districtwide, high‑stakes changes that would affect thousands of students and could worsen learning gaps, reduce extracurricular participation and strain building operations. Many said the administration had not presented data showing benefits or held sufficient outreach with students, teachers and parents.

Parents and students described the flexible schedule as ‘‘cramming’’ and said it would create long gaps between courses. "If they take English in the first semester of freshman year and then only again in the second semester of sophomore year, that is over a year's gap," said Ashore Siva Subramanian, a recent AIT graduate who credited the current AB block schedule with helping him win a scholarship. AIT students repeatedly warned the board that 84‑minute compressed courses would undermine learning and extracurricular commitments.

Office support staff and allies warned that proposed OSS cuts — commenters said the district is proposing eliminating as many as seven OSS positions — would remove a critical layer of daily school operations and safety. "We are the first point of contact," Tamara Herod said in public comment, listing tasks from enrollment and attendance tracking to record maintenance. A longtime elementary office worker said the office averages about 80 interruptions in a two‑week period, arguing that centralized registration would not eliminate daily in‑school duties.

Special education and equity concerns also featured prominently. Parents and a special‑education teacher warned that compressed schedules would disproportionately harm students with ADHD, language‑processing disorders and those on IEPs. "The accommodation for children with ADHD is transitioning and movement breaks," said a parent and special‑education teacher, urging the board to prioritize direct student supports rather than adding administrative positions.

Several speakers said the district had not provided evidence that the flexible schedule would raise graduation rates or addressed teacher‑absenteeism and substitute‑coverage challenges that could amplify learning loss under a compressed model. Speakers referenced other districts (including Bridgeport) as examples of difficulties with similar schedules and said they planned to raise concerns with the state Department of Education and the attorney general.

Superintendent Dr. Lucero is on record announcing the new welcome center's ribbon cutting and said communications will be sent to families; she also said the district is working with legal counsel and the Stamford Police Department to clarify permissible activities on school grounds. The board did not take a recorded vote on the schedule or staffing during the public‑comment portion; the chair closed comments and moved the meeting forward after an extended session.

What’s next: Commenters asked for more outreach, data and a recorded board vote on any major schedule change. Speakers repeatedly requested that students and teachers be consulted and that the board preserve OSS positions while exploring alternative budget reductions.

Sources: Public comments at the Stamford Board of Education meeting (June 28). Attributions in this story are to commenters who identified themselves during the public comment period: Tamara Herod (public commenter), Grace Digiacomo (AIT student), Ashore Siva Subramanian (AITE graduate), Michelle Triplecioides (OSS), and others.