The school division announced it will revert to a three-bell lunch schedule starting Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024. Potomac Local was the first to tell you administrators were scrutinizing the extended “power hour” lunch period following the arrest of at least 10 students involved in an early-morning fight at Brooke Point High School on January 29, 2024.
Later that day, police placed the school on lockdown after students assaulted two Brooke Point teachers in a separate incident.
The school division’s new lunch schedule allocates three lunch blocks throughout the day. The first lunch block takes place from 10:35 to 11 a.m., the second from 11:10 to 11:35 a.m., and the third from 12:05 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The schedule is divided into four academic blocks, each lasting from 7:30 to 9 a.m., 9:05 to 10:30 a.m., 11:05 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and 12:35 p.m. to 2 p.m., respectively.
During the third academic block, there is a split lunch period, with one portion from 10:35 a.m. to 11:05 a.m. and the other from 11:40 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
“We understand that changes mid-year can be unexpected, and we want to assure you that this decision was made after careful consideration of various factors, including direct instructional time and student safety. By implementing this shift, students will have more time in each class period, and we will see a decrease in the number of students in our lunch periods simultaneously,” a school division spokeswoman stated in a letter sent to parents.
When it was introduced in the 2022-23 school year, Superintendent Dr. Thomas Taylor said the power hour lunch was an idea proposed by students that would allow them to walk about campus to have lunch with friends, study, meet teachers and guidance counselors, do make-up work, or attend workshops.
The school division stated that students can continue to receive remediation and support from their teachers, encouraging them to request office hours during lunch, before, or after school. Any additional remediation needs should be coordinated directly with the teacher.
On January 29, the sheriff’s office reported that a series of fights caused the lockdown at Brooke Point. On Monday, the sheriff provided additional information, at our request, about the events that occurred that day.
Following the first early-morning brawl, according to the sheriff’s office, at 11:20 a.m., Deputy D.J. Taylor responded to a commotion where a large group had gathered in a hallway. With assistance from other deputies and staff, he separated the students.
Following interviews with staff, deputies learned two staff members were assaulted. One juvenile student pushed a staff member twice, while another student pushed past a staff member, grabbing her arm and pushing it down.
Criminal complaints were submitted to Juvenile Intake for both students, charging them with assault and battery, with an additional obstruction charge for one of them, said Stafford Sheriff’s Major Shawn Kimmitz.
Sources say a total of 19 Brooke Point students were suspended stemming from incidents on January 29. The school division did not confirm that number, stating student discipline is not a matter of public record.
A school spokeswoman said Taylor has twice “had nothing further to add in the interest of protecting our security plans” after we asked what he is doing to make schools safer for students and teachers. “…providing for the safety and security of our students and staff is our top priority,” she said.
One student was taken to the hospital after a fight occurred at Brooke Point about a week before the January 29 lockdown.
In April 2023, Potomac Local News first reported administrators revoked “power hour” lunch privileges at Colonial Forge High School following multiple fights that broke out, prompting a police response.
The School Board meets tonight at 7 o’clock and is seeking public comment on the division’s proposed $453 million budget. Taylor said the budget, which is $157 million more than last year, prioritizes student success, addresses growth, and emphasizes the need for increased investment in education.
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