NASHUA – If there is a single issue that brings out passionate opinions among parents, it appears to be high school scheduling.

That much was clear Thursday evening, as an audience made up mostly of parents packed the lecture hall at Nashua High School South to weigh in on how the current scheduling format at the two high schools should be changed, if at all.

Still unclear, however, is where the consensus lies. There were parents like Laura Winslow whose children at Nashua North report back to her that some teachers allow them to use excess class time to allow them to do homework. Winslow said that leaves her children and others in the district unprepared for college.

“If they’re doing all their work in school, they’re not learning how to study,” she said. “I find that to be a huge concern.”

Then there were parents like Chuck Williams, who said his son is flourishing in the current format used by the high schools, which is a “4×4” block schedule. Williams recently moved his family from Loudon County in Virginia, which he said used an A/B schedule, one of the options being considered by a committee reviewing options. The committee, made up of administrators, teachers, parents and students.

Williams said his son struggled under the A/B block schedule, which has students taking eight classes through the year but alternating the classes they take every other day.

“He’s getting As and Bs here,” Williams said.

This is the eighth year the high schools have used block scheduling, a change made when the high schools split in 2004. Currently, students take four 90-minute classes each semester, allowing for a maximum of 32 credits over four years. Before that, students had the same seven-period schedule the whole year.

Among the complaints about block scheduling is that 90 minutes is too long for some subjects and time isn’t being used well. Another common concern is long gaps in subjects like math and world languages, in which students can suffer from a lack of continuity. In some cases, students can go a full calendar year until their next math class.

This has been an issue for North parent Patrick Paraggio, who said his son wanted to take geometry and French this semester, but had to wait until the spring because there wasn’t enough room under the block schedule.

“I think we’re losing track of what the problem is we need to solve here,” he said.

Administrators started the meeting by going over the options being considered. Principal Jennifer Seusing, who is heading up a committee to review the block schedule, said there are no plans to force changes until it is clear there is a system that has the support of the community. While changes could be made for next fall, it could also wait until the year after that, she said.

“I don’t want anyone to think we’re rushing into anything unless we have a groundswell of support,” she said.

Among the options would be to schedule some classes as 45-minute “skinnies,” which would give students more chances to classes. There is no perfect solution, which makes the process of selecting the right schedule difficult, said Assistant Superintendent Brian Cochrane. For example, scheduling formats that allow for some subjects to be taught in different time slots create their own problems, he said.

“The more courses you’re scheduling in different variations, the more the class sizes vary,” Cochrane said.

Another option would be to keep the block format used now, but reduce class time to 80 minutes and use the other 40 minutes as a period in the middle of the day for intervention for struggling students and enhancement for those who want more advanced course work.

Cochrane said the advantage would be targeted remediation for students who are falling behind. When the pace of classes has to be changed, it is often to accommodate struggling learners, he said.

The audience of more than 100 people Thursday wasn’t just parents. Teachers and students also filled the room and shared their opinions. Although the committee did a survey in January, Seusing said another one will be conducted over the next week. Students, parents and teachers will all be asked to weigh in through the survey, she said.

If any changes are to be made for next fall, the committee would have to make a recommendation to the Board of Education early next year so they can implemented in time for course selection in the spring.

Michael Brindley can be reached at 594-6426 or mbrindley@nashuatelegraph.com. Michael Brindley can be reached at 594-6426 or mbrindley@nashuatelegraph.com.