AMHERST — Amherst school officials are being required by the state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to take corrective action after the agency determined Amherst Regional High School students this past school year fell nearly 100 hours short of the required 990 hours of structured learning time.
With an investigation recently completed by the Problem Resolution System Office at the state office based on a complaint filed in May, a letter of finding was issued Friday that the so-called “Flex Block” period is not structured learning as defined by state code. That finding means that students at the high school, who come from Amherst, Pelham, Leverett and Shutesbury, fell 94.5 hours short of the mandated academic engagement. The name of the complainant was redacted from documents reviewed by the Gazette.
Superintendent E. Xiomara Herman announced Monday that the issue will be addressed with a comprehensive local response so Flex Block going forward will qualify as structured instructional time across the year.
“We are moving swiftly to address the discrepancy and ensure the revised schedule reflects both our instructional vision and regulatory compliance,” Herman said. “This is another opportunity to clarify expectations, strengthen systems and ensure every minute of the school day is purposeful and aligned with student success.”
Flex Block classes are designed to support student needs through enrichment, intervention and advisory activities, and almost all include direct teacher support, directed studies, capstone projects, ensemble rehearsals, maker space sessions and university classes or career preparation.
But DESE concluded that did not meet the state definition. In its letter of finding to Herman, as well as Principal Talib Sadiq and Special Education Director Joann Smith, the state department wrote, “Based upon the information in the record, including the 2024-2025 school calendar and the daily schedules for students at the high school, students at the district’s high school were scheduled to receive fewer than the required 990 hours of structured learning time… The department calculated that students at the high school received 895.50 hours of structured learning time for the 2024-2025 school year, which is fewer than the required 990 hours of structured learning time.”
The primary concern centered on how the Flex Block was implemented and whether it consistently met the state’s criteria for structured academic engagement, concluding that it didn’t because it doesn’t meet the “regularly scheduled instruction, learning activities, or learning assessments within the curriculum for study.”
The district, according to Herman, submitted a full response by June 17, including documentation, such as the high school’s master schedule, daily start and end times, learning time breakdowns, the 2024–2025 academic calendar, and a description of non-traditional instructional blocks. The district also reviewed and clarified the function of Flex Block and its alignment to student learning outcomes.
To get into compliance, the high school schedule will be reformatted for the upcoming year to ensure that all time counted toward the 990-hour requirement clearly meets DESE’s expectations.
Also, as part of the district’s initial response to DESE regarding the high school, Herman asked for a review of the Amherst Regional Middle School schedule to ensure that both secondary schools are aligned with state regulations. She said feedback from DESE on this hasn’t yet arrived.
“My goal is to ensure we have a full regional understanding of how time is used for instruction, not just in response to findings, but as a matter of sound practice,” Herman said. “It’s about ensuring every student, in every building, receives equitable access to high-quality, structured learning time.”
“As superintendent, I take seriously our obligation to adhere to the law and ensure students receive the instructional time they are entitled to,” Herman added.
She went on to note that in her own evaluation she has emphasized the need to strengthen governance across the districts, not just to meet compliance, but to build systems rooted in integrity, transparency and equity. The complaint presents an opportunity to reflect, grow and do better, she said.
“This moment is one of growth, accountability and responsibility,” Herman said. “Leadership must be responsive and responsible. As hard as change may be, we must be willing to pivot when needed, to ensure that what we do is aligned with both our values and the law. I ask for a spirit of growth mindset, collaboration, and cooperation as we take this next step together to strengthen our schools for all students.”
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
