Three years after the implementation of Community Days, the administration has decided they are no longer essential. In order to stabilize the weekly schedule and address other issues, Community days will be less frequent, with late starts and early dismissals added in their place.

During the height of the pandemic, Marlborough adopted the unique concept of  Community Days. Director of Middle School  Sean Fitts said that they began as a way to ease the transition from virtual school to the in-person environment by offering students a chance to regain a sense of normalcy.

“Community Days were a much-needed pause in the rotation that enabled students to work on projects and activities,” Fitts said. 

During the first full year back in person after the pandemic, he said full Community Days were implemented with the purpose of “helping students reconnect with their peers.” 

However, as students navigate the post-pandemic educational landscape, Marlborough has re-evaluated the role of Community days and their impact on student life. Questions surrounding their effectiveness and frequency surfaced, so administrators scaled back on their presence in the schedule this year.

The administration hopes that early dismissals and late starts will serve as a less time-consuming alternative to Community Days and will help students adjust to a regular, pre-pandemic schedule. 

“I have a mixed opinion on the new policy because I understand that a full day off might be hard to manage, but I think that starting later or ending earlier still doesn’t fix the issue of reduced class time,” Gabi ‘25 said

In light of student concerns that Marlborough is scaling back its approach to mental health, Fitts emphasized that this new policy is not to undermine the importance of student health but to create a balance between academics and downtime. 

“Students should trust the School to make the right decisions but know we are always open and willing to listen and make changes,” Fitts said.