New Caney ISD high schools to add 15 minutes to each school day

Cesar Condarco, executive director of secondary education for NCISD, noted the change is not expected to impact buses.

Some context

Students will still have an eight-period schedule for the 2026-27 school year, but a few minutes will be added throughout the day, Condarco said.

The schedule change is designed to give students time to receive academic support or advanced learning opportunities without taking time from their core classes, Powers said.

“With a slightly longer period structure, teachers can administer reading and writing assessments that better build stamina, conduct science labs without rushing or splitting them across multiple days and collaborate more effectively during team planning,” Powers said. “These are improvements that benefit every student.”

The new schedule will also allow for more professional development opportunities in the school year for teachers, Condarco said.

Going forward

District leaders plan to use this schedule for at least the next few years and collect data to see whether the change is effective, Condarco said.