Holyoke Public Schools will release students one hour early on Wednesdays as part of a pilot for the coming school year. This change is intended to better support teacher development and ultimately improve teacher retention. Early-release Wednesdays will affect all programs EXCEPT Opportunity Academy, which will continue to follow its regular schedule for students and staff next year.
Here’s the school schedule for 2024-25:
Early start schools (Holyoke STEM, McMahon, Metcalf Middle, Holyoke High North, Holyoke High Dean) will continue to open their doors at 7:30 a.m. (7:35 a.m. in high school), with the instructional day officially starting at 7:45 a.m. School will run until 2:30 p.m. on all days except Wednesday, when school will end at 1:30 p.m. Transitions Academy will run until 2:20 p.m. on all days except Wednesday, when school will end at 1:20 p.m.
Late start schools (Donahue, E.N. White, Kelly, Lawrence, Morgan, Sullivan Middle) will continue to open their doors at 8:30 a.m., with the instructional day officially starting at 8:45 a.m. School will run until 3:30 p.m. on all days except Wednesday, when school will end at 2:30 p.m.
Opportunity Academy will continue to open its doors at 8 a.m., with an official start time of 8:25 a.m. and end time of 3 p.m.
Please refer to the HPS website for more information, including the district’s 2024-25 school year calendar and start- and end-time schedules for all buildings.
“I recognize that early releases on Wednesdays could cause hardship for some families,” said Superintendent Anthony Soto. “To support families on those days, we will work with after-school providers to see if they are able to accept elementary and middle school students at their site one hour early on Wednesdays. We will also explore offering on-site after-school care for elementary students whose parents/guardians are working or in school themselves, as well as after-school clubs and enrichment activities for middle school students. I do want to be upfront about after-school options: Because of limited funding, transportation cannot be provided for students who stay late. We are anticipating that, based on the timing of school schedules, many middle and high school siblings will be home at the same time or earlier than their younger siblings.”
HPS will provide more information about these after-school supports before the end of this school year.
“Research states—and we know this to be true through our own experience—that teacher continuity results in improved student success, and that conversely, high teacher turnover rates negatively impact student achievement,” Mr. Soto said. “While teacher retention and teacher vacancies are challenges across the state and nation, Holyoke Public Schools strives to improve working conditions in Holyoke so that we can be a best-fit school district for our teachers, now and in the future.”