New Year, New Schedule: Hudson High Students React to Major Change

HUDSON — Students expect some changes when a new school year begins — new teachers, new classes, new routines. But at Hudson High School this fall, the biggest change may be the schedule itself.

The new timetable affects everyone, from seniors preparing for graduation to eighth graders just starting high school. So why the change — and how is it going over?

Hudson High Principal Dr. Lauren Pupecki, formerly the school’s head of guidance, said the previous rotating schedule hadn’t been updated in more than a decade and had grown outdated.

“We were interested in finding a way to match the school schedule with more of the ‘real world,’” Pupecki said.

She added that the older format made it difficult to offer some opportunities, such as career programs or state-funded early college classes. A more consistent weekly layout, she said, makes it easier to add programs that help students prepare for life after graduation.

“There were also concerns about some classes always meeting at the same time of day,” Pupecki said. “This new schedule is a way to meet in the middle — to offer more while still being fair.”

A New Week in the Making

This year’s schedule is considered a pilot. Mondays now feature seven shortened blocks, so students see every class. Tuesday through Friday run on a six-block rotation.

One notable shift is H block, which meets last block three times a week to align with internships and college courses.

Another big change is the ARC period — It now meets only Tuesday through Thursday for an hour, instead of 40 minutes daily.

Changing a schedule took more effort than it may appear. Even the new bell times required extensive planning, Pupecki said. Early feedback has been mixed: some students and staff say Mondays now feel draining, while others appreciate easing into the week with shorter classes.

To keep refining the system, Hudson High created a Master Schedule Advisory Board, which meets monthly to gather feedback. Students are invited to join.

“We know there probably isn’t a perfect schedule,” Pupecki said. “But we want to maximize opportunities and make this work for everyone.”

Student Reactions: Split Opinions

Not everyone is impressed.

Senior Owen Rice called the new schedule “more stressful.”

“Every week is the same with no change. The old schedule had more variety,” he said.

“It’s just too much time. I would rather have a 40-minute ARC every day.”

His solution?

“I would just go back to the old schedule.”

Senior Ben Spencer sees it differently. For him, consistency is a win — especially with his work-study program.

“I have my work study every day, and I can’t ever lose it,” Spencer said.

“Not having to keep track of the schedule rotation on a seven-day cycle is just a lot easier.”

Still, Spencer said he’d tweak one part:

“H block doesn’t need to be the last class almost every day.”

For eighth graders new to the high school, the change is harder to compare. But some wish it looked more like their Quinn Middle School schedule.

Eighth grader Matthew Downin said the new routine feels “too repetitive” and that Mondays drag on.

“Through the 12 years that I’ve been in school I learned that nothing is going to be perfect, you just have to give it a chance and see if you really like it or not,” concluded Spencer.