Students will have a few less hours of school next year as the faculty of Old Rochester Regional High School pilots a morning planning time.

Principal Mike Devoll has suggested delaying the start of school by an hour two Thursdays a month to give teachers time to meet together. As the school adopts a new state curriculum, Devoll said, “There’s a lot of planning that’s going to go into it. I’m thinking we can get a lot of bang for our buck with this.”

Rather than just a planning period, faculty teaching the same course could meet together to build consistency in curriculum, said Devoll. Students could opt to come arrive at school in time for 8:30 a.m. classes; however, Devoll explained that buses would continue to drop kids off by 7:20 a.m.

On those Thursdays, students would have the option to hold club meetings or spend time in the library or gym, said Devoll. “There is a sense that this would help school culture,” he said, adding that teaching assistants and other staff would supervise students.

On Wednesday, Devoll presented the plan to ORR School Committee members, several of whom were concerned that class time would be reduced by 18 hours over the year without any extra instruction for kids in need during the Thursdays.

“I’m still a little uncomfortable with what’s happening with our students,” said member Robin Rounseville. “I would like to see something a little more productive with the students.”

Devoll said, “We think that the benefit of this common planning time can so greatly make up for the 18 hours we’re loosing.”

Superintendent Doug White suggested that teachers might be willing to rotate meeting times on the Thursdays to work with students. A 7:00 a.m. start time for the common planning time, might also be an option to reduce the 18-hour decline in class time.

To ask teachers to being at 7:00 a.m. would require a change in contracts, noted White.

In the end, the committee approved the planning time, giving Devoll and the faculty the option to start the planning time when they choose. The committee also requested that Devoll provide clear goals and regular updates next school year.