Flexible Scheduling That Works: How West Clermont High School Scaled Student Choice and Safety
About
At West Clermont High School, a daily period called PACK is doing more than filling time—it’s redefining how students connect, grow, and succeed.
The answer came in the form of PACK—the West Clermont Wolves’ version of a flex period. It’s a block during the school day dedicated to both academic support and social-emotional development. Students use the first half of PACK to meet with teachers, complete assignments, or catch up on classwork. The second half is all about connection: from cornhole to clubs to coloring, students choose how they recharge—with their friends and favorite teachers.
But making that kind of flexibility work across a student body of 2,400 is no small feat.
“We needed to make this time meaningful, but also safe and manageable. Flex gave us the structure to do both—and more.”
— Angela Basler, Project Management Specialist
Flex turned West Clermont’s PACK period into one of the most impactful parts of the school day.
Challenge: Managing Freedom Without Losing Structure
Angela Basler, Project Management Specialist at West Clermont High School, knew the school had a powerful opportunity in PACK. But with great opportunity came real logistical concerns.
How could the school ensure every student was where they were supposed to be? How could they track attendance, support students academically, and still allow time for fun and connection?
“Our first priority is always safety. Are students where they need to be? Are they using that time well? That’s the baseline challenge of managing Flex at this scale.”
Solution: SmartPass x Flex Makes PACK Possible
Within a month of launching PACK, Angela introduced Flex, a flexible activity scheduling program from SmartPass. The school was already using SmartPass’ digital hall passes.
With Flex, students sign up for academic or enrichment activities. Teachers create offerings that align with their interests—some lead study sessions, others run clubs, and many use the time to connect with students they don’t teach in class. It’s a win-win across the board.
“We’ve seen grades go up, failure rates go down, and student engagement increase—all because of how we’re using Flex.
PACK has become one of the most energizing and relational periods of the day. Students play volleyball, take part in Taylor Swift Club, work on piano skills, paint, volunteer, and more—all while staying on track academically.
“We tell teachers: Offer something you love. And we tell students: Pick what makes you feel connected.”
Data-Driven Student Insights
Flex works because it’s dynamic—and the data tells the story.
Angela monitors data daily to support individual student accountability, and reviews it quarterly to guide broader decisions across the school.
“I look at data daily to track attendance for academic support. If a student skips three times, admin follows up. That data helps us intervene early.”
The biggest surprises came from activity trends. Students weren’t just using PACK time to relax—they were seeking movement, purpose, and social connection.
“The data surprised us. Students crave physical activity. The activities that fill up fastest are the ones where they can move—volleyball, cornhole, pickleball.”
Those insights translated into real changes. The school expanded resources for popular activities and scaled back underused ones.
“We had 2 cornhole boards—now we have 5. We saw 10 quiet study halls that weren’t being used—so we cut those down and encouraged more hobby-based sessions.”
Flex isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it program. It evolves as student needs do—and the data helps West Clermont lead that evolution.
Beyond PACK: Flex as Infrastructure
While PACK is the heart of Flex at West Clermont, the school has found ways to use the tool far beyond one period. Flex has evolved into a daily infrastructure system—streamlining student movement, improving oversight, and supporting school-wide logistics in real time.
The team uses Flex to:
- Track tardiness trends
- Monitor how long students are out of class
- Manage field trip groups
- Support off-campus lunch programs for upperclassmen
- Identify students missing academic supports
But it doesn’t stop there. The platform also helps organize large-group events, monitor late arrivals, and keep tabs on student safety throughout the building.
“What started out with that social emotional time plus the academic support… now we have branched out and found many different ways that we can use it. We’ve used it for tardies, for leaving the building but keeping safe, for keeping track of field trips, for inviting large groups.”
These expanded use cases have turned SmartPass Flex into what Angela calls “a hub for everything—not just scheduling.” The system provides visibility that helps both administrators and teachers make better decisions—whether that’s about student safety, instructional time, or event planning.
Angela has even collaborated with SmartPass x Flex on beta testing and early feature releases, influencing the evolution of Flex to meet real-world school needs.
The Case for Keeping Flex—Even in a Tight Year
With budget constraints and shifting priorities in education, tools like SmartPass x Flex often face scrutiny. Angela knows exactly how she’d advocate for keeping it.
“It’s helped improve grades. It’s reduced our failure rates. It’s increased student engagement with teachers and each other. That’s not anecdotal—we see it in the data.”
Flex is more than a scheduling platform. It’s a structure that supports meaningful time, school-wide connection, and proactive academic intervention.
What Other Schools Should Know
Angela’s advice is clear: start small, and stay focused on the why. Communicate openly with teachers and families. Build trust through transparency. And use the data—not to control, but to guide.
Let teachers create offerings they love. Students will show up when they feel they have a voice. And don’t be afraid to adapt. What works in one quarter might shift the next—and that’s a good thing.
“Flex, powered by SmartPass, has opened up the possibilities for our students to truly thrive. It’s enhanced their experience, and our ability to support them, in ways we couldn’t have imagined.”
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