Northampton School Committee members were told Thursday that Northampton High School has tightened rules for the school’s mid-day FlexBlock after the district received a state complaint questioning whether the period counts toward the state’s required “time on learning.” Principal Ben Tagliere told the committee he issued a memo to staff and students and implemented the change the week of Oct. 9 to reduce the district’s risk of falling short of the state-required hours.

Tagliere said the state’s problem-resolution office is using a narrow interpretation that structured learning time must involve students being with a certified teacher for curriculum-related instruction. To reduce the risk of a corrective action that could force the district to add many make-up hours, he said the high school will allow students to use FlexBlock only to go to teachers they currently have in a scheduled course or to approved, curriculum-aligned offerings.

The change is intended to keep FlexBlock in the day while meeting the state interpretation. Tagliere described the schedule as unchanged — the school will retain its two-semester block structure with a short FlexBlock between large class periods — but students must now use that time with a current course teacher. “If that’s not their current teacher, we’re saying no,” Tagliere said, explaining the move is intended to prioritize access for current students and to limit spots taken by students seeking previous teachers.

Why it matters: The state requires 990 structured learning hours for secondary students under 603 CMR 27. If the state finds that FlexBlock does not qualify, district leaders said they could fall about 90 hours short and that the state’s corrective measures would be mandatory and potentially costly (adding school days or extending hours).

How the rules changed: Principal Tagliere told staff and students the new guidance limits FlexBlock attendance to teachers with whom students are currently enrolled, and that activities like clubs and study halls — as they were previously run — will not meet the state’s standard unless explicitly approved as curriculum-related. He also said the joint labor-management committee agreed to raise the FlexBlock cap in some classrooms from 15 to 20 students to accommodate demand under the new rules.

Reaction and next steps: Committee members, student representatives and staff described the change as abrupt and disruptive but generally understood the legal pressure that prompted it. Several school committee members thanked Tagliere for moving quickly and asked the administration to share the staff memo and any follow-up guidance once it is formalized. Tagliere said he had already shared the memo by ParentSquare to families and would provide a digital copy to committee members.

Context: Northampton introduced FlexBlock in the 2022–23 school year to give students time for reassessments, interventions and enrichment without missing new instruction. District leaders said many students use FlexBlock for reassessments and interventions aligned with Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). Tagliere and Superintendent Bonner said they hope forthcoming formal DESE guidance will clarify whether well-structured Flex models can meet the regulations; in the meantime the district has narrowed Flex to the curriculum-aligned approach to reduce immediate compliance risk.

What’s next: Tagliere asked the committee to treat the current change as an interim response while the district awaits statewide guidance and to expect further adjustments if DESE clarifies the rules. He also asked principals, teachers and the union to monitor capacity in classrooms and report back on the data so the district can assess whether schedule or staffing changes will be required.