Student government officers from Minnetonka Middle School East presented a quarter‑in review of the district’s new middle‑school model at the Nov. 13 Minnetonka School Board meeting, listing both benefits and areas they asked district leaders to adjust.

Brooks, Maeve, Leah and Eli told the board the 82‑minute block schedule is helping many students manage time by increasing in‑class work time and giving students two nights to complete assignments for each class. They said many teachers have adapted to the longer blocks and that expanded elective offerings are allowing students to explore interests earlier.

Students also reported challenges: some students — including those with attention differences — find 82‑minute classes hard to sustain; teachers vary in pacing (some fitting two lessons into a block, others focusing on a single lesson plus work time); and sixth graders currently have required classes (STEM/coding) with fewer elective options. Student leaders suggested moving advisory toward the end of the day so students could use it for homework and breaks, and asked for clearer elective descriptions during registration to reduce last‑minute surprises.

Principal Dimmit told the board the district expected a multi‑year implementation and that pacing has emerged as the principal area for ongoing monitoring and support: "I think there were a lot of stressed out teachers the first few weeks of the quarter trying to figure out how does this work and how do we keep the kids engaged," Dimmit said.

Board members asked clarifying questions about what a successful 82‑minute block looks like; students and staff described a mix of focused instruction and built‑in work or movement breaks as effective approaches. The presentation concluded with the board thanking students and noting additional review in year two of implementation.