Students React to the New Schedule Pilot Days

In an effort to determine general opinions surrounding the new schedule, The Razor, surveyed 50 students across grade levels on their opinions based on the pilot days. Forty-six percent of students reported feeling less positive about the new schedule than the current one, with the other 54% divided evenly between students feeling more positive or neutral. Furthermore, when prompted about whether they would prefer the new schedule to be implemented for the 2026-2027 school year, 59% of students voted no, leaving 18% voting yes and 23% selecting “other.”

When asked, “Do you feel as though your input was factored into the creation of the new schedule?” on a scale from “1 - I feel as though my opinion was not fairly factored in, and/or I am heavily dissatisfied with the degree to which my opinion was factored in” to “10 - I feel as though my opinion was heavily factored in, and/or I am content with the amount that my opinion was factored in,“ the average student response was 3.21. One student commented that “if the students' input was factored in, I don't think the schedule would be anything like it is.” After the pilot days, however, students were given opportunities to share feedback. 

Student Council’s advocacy committee, led by Walker Stollenwerck ‘27, hosted a “town hall” following the trial days to give students a platform for their opinions to be heard. Here, students reflected on the structure and timing of the schedule, impacts on their academics, the new lunch setup and the added influx of free time and club meeting opportunities.

One aspect of the new schedule that students emphasized was its later start time. Many felt as though the day went by faster and that the schedule was holistically more balanced. Some students noted that lunch and third spaces like the library or Upper Heath were “too chaotic” during common free time. A multifaceted response emerged around the longer blocks, which benefitted many for labs, in-class essays and English discussions, but proved challenging in other subjects. In addition to the StuCo town hall, students were given a chance to provide feedback on the new schedule in a Google Form sent out by Dean of Academics Kristine Waters.

A significant change between the current and new schedules is the deletion of one block, creating a seven-block schedule. Some students found the change helpful, reporting positive impacts from less switching and more focused time. Others disagreed. This change especially affects Junior School students, who will now have to choose between Latin and a modern language instead of being able to study both. Out of 14 seventh-graders surveyed, six mentioned this specific change’s impact on them. J. School languages are not the only courses being affected, however. MSON courses will also be altered with the new schedule. One student shared that she “can’t take an MSON course along with my other courses which I was hoping to do.”

The new schedule’s unified lunch block aspires to foster community by creating a time when everyone is available to eat with friends. With the current schedule, X-block lunch and separate Middle School, Senior School and J. School lunch periods divide students from many of their peers. The longer lunch block also offers more time to get things done, with one student commenting that they were able to “use the flex block to get some of my homework done.”

J. School students also noted benefits from the new lunch block, with one commenting that the tables were cleaner for J. School students than they were used to. Still, many students reported that the new lunch schedule was a difficult adjustment. When asked “How did the new schedule impact your lunch?” on a scale from "1 - Very negatively" and "3 - Not at all" to "5 - Very positively," the average respondent ranked it a 2.32. 

The Razor asked students what they wanted to see featured or removed for next year. Many students reported positive feelings toward the 30-minute later start time, saying that it helped them catch up on sleep and have a more relaxing morning. Others appreciated the fewer classes that met per day, as it helped them engage in deeper focus on what they were learning. J. School students, who are used to sparse study halls or flex time, reported positive feelings towards the addition of a daily J. School study hall. In response to the longer class times, one respondent suggested “2-3 minute stretch times during each block.”

Student responses suggest that the transition will be an adjustment; while some students are excited, others expressed frustration or said they felt unheard. As students enter the 2026-27 school year, history teacher and Class of 2028 Head Advisor Scott Wich reminded the Hopkins community to “go into the new schedule with an open mind rather than a catastrophist mindset — try to see both the crunchy and the smooth.”