South Brunswick Schools Won't Change Schedule, Petition Closed

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ – South Brunswick School Superintendent Scott Feder on Thursday said that no change will be made to the remote learning schedule come Nov. 16.

This was in response to a viral petition signed by several high schoolers and parents urging the school district to continue with the current remote learning school hours.

Read More Here: South Brunswick Students Sign Petition, Oppose Schedule Change

The petition, started by a student named Sourav Patra, had garnered around 1226 signatures with a goal of reaching 1500.

According to the petition, when the district pivots to the hybrid model on Nov. 16, high school students will begin classes from 7:30 a.m., to 1:55 p.m., forcing "students to sit on screens without break."

The petition said that the increased screen time "may have devastating developmental effects on students of all ages.”

Currently, high school students begin their day at 9 a.m., with a 60-minute lunch break. School ends at 3 p.m.

With the new schedule, lunch time has been reduced to 30 minutes. "The Board has also made the completely premature decision to reduce lunch time to 30 minutes a day from 60 minutes previously. This is by far the biggest mistake they made during the meeting. Those 60 minutes provided a time for students to rest their eyes, and their brains," read the petition.

At the Board of Education meeting held on Thursday night, Feder said there was nothing the Board could do to accommodate the demands of the petition, due to scheduling. However, he said he would work towards trying to reduce screen time for students during the school day.

On Friday, Patra updated his petition and informed everyone of the “sad defeat.” He said that increased screen time was still a problem that needs to be addressed.

“The reduction of passing times and lunch times still has a negative impact on student body, and the problem is most likely going to be even more pronounced, as students are going to be waking up way earlier, and receiving even less break between each class,” Patra said in the update.

He thanked those who signed the petition, and hoped they would still “keep fighting this issue," to ensure the physical and mental wellbeing of students.

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