BOE Votes 6-1 to Remove Flex Block at GHS, Starting Fall 2024

On Thursday night the Board of Education voted 6-1 to approve a proposal from Greenwich High School administration to eliminate the 1/2-hour flex block at the end of the day.

Mr. Mercanti-Anthony was not present to vote. Wendy Vizzo Walsh voted against removing flex block. Voting in favor were Karen Kowalski, Cody Kittle, Laura Kostin, Kathleen Stowe, Sophie Koven and Karen Hirsh.

The change will go into effect next fall. It will not impact morning start time.

The half hour will be dispersed by adding two minutes to each block. The remaining 20 minutes will be taken from the end of the day, resulting in a new end time of 2:55pm for all students.

Student government leaders previously defended flex block. Vice president Omar Galal had said flex block had made possible the award-winning chess club, providing an opportunity to meet in person conveniently. He warned that other smaller or new clubs among the 160+ clubs at GHS also relied on flex block to meet in person.

Student body president Caleb Kaalund had said that flex block gave students an opportunity to seek extra help and make up quizzes and tests.

Hadrian Nobay, GHS class of 2026, testified in defense of flex block.

“One of the things this proposal doesn’t understand is why students leave flex; it provides a statistic that 955 students are excused from flex, but many students need to participate in community service, other extra-curriculars, go to doctors, especially when doctors are often not open evenings or weekends, and participate in other activities,” he said.

“Removing flex time will simply cause students to be forced to miss instructional time, which will be significantly harder to make up for with the loss of a time block at the end of the day.”

Hadrian warned of increased traffic congestion with all students departing the same time, and the challenge for clubs to meet in person.

“More casual clubs, such as chess club, one of the most popular clubs at the school, would have trouble finding both students and advisors willing to stay after school; every club requires a paid teacher advisor in order to run, and while a club may fall under the ’50 minute wraparound time,’ that is firstly under the teacher’s discretion, not the clubs, and secondly conflicts with potential academic time.”

“In essence, this proposal would destroy a vital part of the GHS community, in favor of 2 minutes extra class time per block,” Hadrian said.

Several BOE members also shared concerns voiced by students over the loss of time many students do make good use of.

The vote was 6-1 with Wendy Vizzo Walsh voting against the proposal out of concern that members of the many smaller clubs would have difficulty meeting in person.

“I am worried that they are going to be doing clubs over Zoom and I think they really need to see each other,” she said. “And I know a lot of kids do find it valuable to make up their tests during flex block. I’m not in support of this.”

Laura Kostin noted the change was not necessarily permanent.

“We could easily change it back. I don’t want meeting over Zoom or Google. I want them with their peers where they belong. I think having a period during the day when nobody is leaving does make sense for logistical purposes.”

GHS principal Ralph Mayo had said that a number of students were not making good use of the time, and that even with flex block eliminated, students would still have the option to stay after school for clubs or make-up work and take a late bus home. He noted that teachers were required by contract to be available after school.

He said over the summer administrators at GHS will study the late bus schedule and consider adjustment.

BOE chair Karen Kowalski acknowledged concerns about all students departing campus at the same time, and the traffic jam that ensues, especially considering several nearby schools also dismiss at roughly the same time.

Camera won't photograph without flash. Nov 6, 2017 Photo: Leslie Yager

Camera needed a flash to photograph cheerleaders at GHS. Nov 6, 2017 Photo: Leslie Yager

Headlights of cars shone from the parking lot and parents held up flashlights as the JV football game proceeded on field 7 in semi-darkness on Nov 6, 2017, the first day after daylight savings time and new dismissal times converged Photo: Leslie Yager

Headlights of cars shone from the parking lot and parents held up flashlights as the JV football game proceeded on field 7 in semi-darkness on Nov 6, 2017, the first day after daylight savings time and new dismissal times converged Photo: Leslie Yager

Origin of Flex Block

In June 2016 the BOE voted 5-3 in favor of a new school start time an hour later at GHS. The change was implemented in the 2017-18 school year.

The change in start time created some issues with athletes traveling to competitions at the later time, and at one point football players competed in the dark.

Flex time was the most recent iteration of what was originally called “opportunity block,” an idea that came from then schools superintendent Jill Gildea in response to that daylight challenge.

Flex block was the most recent iteration of opportunity block.

See also:

BOE Considers Eliminating 30 Minute Flex Block at Greenwich High School