A new plan that gives faculty extra time to plan, and students a few less hours of school had a successful launch at Old Rochester Regional High School this month.

Principal Mike Devoll suggested delaying the start of school by one hour twice a month in May. The extra time would let teachers gather to plan and build a consistent curriculum.

“There were no issues. It was a really nice morning,” Devoll said Wednesday. He spoke at the ORR Regional District School Committee.

Students could choose to arrive at school in time for 8:30 a.m. classes; however, buses would continue to drop off kids by 7:20 a.m.

Of the school’s 730 students about 150 arrived for 7:30 a.m. Devoll said students were divided by grade; members of the freshman class met in the cafeteria; sophomores and juniors in the auditorium; and seniors in the library.

Three administrators and a campus aide checked on students throughout the morning. Students had the option of going to the library or one of the computer labs to do school work.

Previously, some school committee members expressed misgivings for the project saying students would lose 18 hours of classroom instruction throughout the year. Devoll said benefits derived from the common planning time more than makes up for the loss of instruction.

He said the results of those common planning times would be included in his monthly reports for committee review.

At least one student group used the extra hour to hold a meeting.

“The students in the National Honor Society took lead and held a meeting that morning,” Devoll said, adding other groups may want to follow their lead.

National Honor Society member, and ORR school committee representative Renee Reints, said meeting then worked well.

“None of us had any conflicts,” she said. “It was a good time to meet.”