Indian Hill High School students get up to 75 minutes each day for lunch, teacher check-ins and academic help under a new schedule launched for the 2026-27 school year.

The schedule replaces the traditional lunch period with an extended "multipurpose" block, or MP time. It gives the school's roughly 660 students a shared midday window across multiple campus locations. Beyond eating, students can connect with clubs, attend events at the College, Career and Counseling Center, or work on assignments.

The school also partnered with food-service provider Aramark this year, offering expanded food and beverage options starting at 7:30 a.m. through a new "All Day Café," according to a school post on X.

Superintendent Dr. Melissa Stewart highlighted the schedule change on Tuesday, Sept. 22, in a district post recognizing Principal Andy Gruber with the district's "Thank You Lunch" award. Multiple members of Gruber's team nominated him for the honor, saying he worked "tirelessly" to plan the logistics.

Stewart tied the new schedule to the district's 2026-27 academic goal of ensuring every student is "known, challenged, and supported to demonstrate meaningful academic growth." She wrote that creating time and space for students to connect with teachers, seek help and strengthen relationships supports that commitment.

The planning was extensive. Stewart wrote in the Sept. 22 post that the work required countless meetings, adjustments and problem-solving conversations. She added that Gruber's colleagues recognized something beyond the logistics: "He leads through that work with positivity and joy."

Indian Hill High School first announced the schedule change in a July 6 post on X, describing a daily block of 60 to 75 minutes for lunch, club time and academic support.

The district's "known, challenged, and supported" framework, which Stewart outlined in a back-to-school message on the district website, calls for every student to participate in a one-on-one conference with a teacher at least once per quarter. The district planned to begin posting progress updates on its website in October.

The next Indian Hill Board of Education meeting is Oct. 13 at 6:30 p.m. in the Board Office Community Room, 6855 Drake Road.