BoE Approves Schedule Changes

The Board of Education made two changes that will affect schedules in Ledyard Schools. The board approved revisions to the current year’s calendar to make up for the three missed "Irene days" at the beginning of the school year.

It also adopted a new class schedule at Ledyard High School for the 2012-2013 academic year, transitioning from the current two-semester block schedule to a full-year schedule.

Both decisions were made at the board’s regular meeting on Wednesday.

The first decision affects the 2011-2012 school calendar for all Ledyard schools. In order to make up for days lost to tropical storm Irene, school will be held on three days originally scheduled as days off.

Students will have a half day on Wednesday, Nov. 23, the day before Thanksgiving. School will be in session for a full day on Friday, Dec. 23, which would have been the first day of Christmas vacation. The long weekend for President’s Day will be shortened by holding school on Tuesday, Feb. 21.

The original proposal called for only half a day on Dec. 23. Half days were championed because they allow families more time to travel before the holidays. However, some board members objected to the inconvenience half days cause for working families.

“It really is creating a hardship for these parents,” said board member Gordon Strickland. Making arrangements for child care is more troublesome for a half day than for a full day, he said. A half day also costs the school as much as a full day.

The board voted to change the half day on Dec. 23 to a full day. There were six votes in favor and two opposed.

The board also voted to change the high school’s weekly schedule for the 2012-2013 school year.

Ledyard High School currently uses a block schedule. Students take four classes a day, each running for about 80 minutes. Classes run for only one semester. Full-credit classes meet every day, while half-credit classes are held every other day.

Beginning in the next academic year, Mondays will be divided into eight shorter, 42-minute classes. On Tuesday through Friday, students will still have four longer classes. Full-credit classes will run all year, and half-credit classes will last for a semester.

These changes allow some improvements. The eight classes allow students to earn as many credits as the current schedule, said Principle Louis Gabordi. It increases the total number of times each class can meet. It also reduces the time between classes, giving students less time to forget what they learned.

“This is something that came from the teachers,” Gabordi said. The high school teachers supported the plan even though it would require each of them to teach an extra class. “This is really a goodwill effort by the faculty, making sure we take care of our students,” he said.

“We couldn’t do it without the teachers’ union here,” said board member Thomas Malone. “They have really stepped up to the plate and proved to the community and the children that they are really in it for the education.”

The board approved the schedule change unanimously.