A new rotating drop schedule has been proposed, allowing for students to take eight rather than seven classes. Many other schools in Somerset County and the state have already implemented a similar schedule. This was proposed by the HHS administration team, approved by the BOE in September 2025. Only HHS will be adapting this schedule out of all the other schools in the district.
Principal Mr. DiLollo explained the reasons behind the proposed change. “It will give a lot of additional opportunities for students to follow passion and enter into things in which they want to have experience in.” Due to students having to prioritize core classes, students have to narrow down their options, not leaving time to take advantage of other opportunities. By having an extra period in their day, it would allow them to do this. Although by having more classes, teachers would still teach the same number of classes which they normally would.
One major benefit of rotating-drop are different classes every day. If a student comes late or leaves early for sports or an early dismissal, this absence wouldn’t always impact the same classes. Another benefit according to DiLollo is that the new schedule would allow time within the school day for students to get extra help in their classes. “We also liked this schedule because it would give us an opportunity to do some intervention for students who have to meet teachers during the school day. The new schedule would give us the opportunity to elongate classes, so you would only see six a day with 58 minute periods,” DiLollo said. Additionally, there would be less transition time and less wasting time moving from class to class. Students will have a variety of classes rather than the same ones everyday. For example, students may have one class in the morning, then the next day in the middle of the morning, then before lunch, and the fourth day it will drop off, and come back up in the same rotation to follow. This rotating schedule has also shown a high success rate for students.
The process of having a P.E. class before or after a science class would end in the new schedule, according to DiLollo. When a student has a lab in their science class (based on the level of science), it would take place when the class rotates beside the lunch block. The student would remain in that lab one out of every four days for an additional 25 minutes (which is one-half of the lunch block). The lunch block consists of the students having lunch for 25 minutes and having study hall for 25 minutes. For example, if a student has biology class period 3, on day 1, during lunch for that day the student would remain for the full 58 minutes of the regular period and the additional 25 minutes of the first lunch to accommodate the lab. Then, they would eat lunch for the second 25 minutes. So on a lab day, they would have no study hall. This schedule would also give teachers more prep time.
Upon interviewing students and staff, there were mixed reviews about the change in schedule. “Wasn’t there a rumor that the schedule was going to change last year too? Even though I will be graduating next year, I cannot imagine sitting in a class for 8 minutes extra, 50 minutes is dreadful enough,” said Arianna Johnson.
However, senior Innaya Hussain had a positive perspective towards the change, “I think a change in schedule is great. I would prefer having different classes every day so it is not boring, plus having only 8 minutes extra is not that long.”
Similarly, business teacher Ms. Leah Alfaro-Vega who went to a school with a rotating drop schedule shared her perspective. “My only issue is that we have 8 class periods and meet with 6 of them daily, and there is a split in the middle,” Alfaro-Vega said. “This is a very large school. We have three lunches right now, so I am wondering how we would work around that with just one period.” Also, students wouldn’t feel sleepy or hungry in the same class every day because of having different classes everyday, according to Ms.Vega.
Ms. Marina Devino had a similar perspective as well. “ I’m excited for the new schedule because students will have two less classes per day, but you still actually get an extra class in addition to what you already do,” DeVino said.
According to DiLollo, there are a few roadblocks for the proposal. New staff may be needed to run the full-day kindergarten classes. Enrollment can also affect scheduling, so the administration may need to find another solution to fit both student and teacher schedules. The decision about the schedule will be definite a few months before the end of the school year when classes for the upcoming school year are being selected.
