The 2025-2026 school year at Chelsea High School began with change, and not everyone was on board. At the center of the adjustment is Minga, a digital platform introduced to help the school meet state requirements and manage flex time.

Principal Amanda Clor, now in her second year at Chelsea, acknowledged that the rollout hasn’t been seamless, but emphasized that progress takes time.

“We originally looked at Minga for flex time, creating opportunities for students to sign in to where they’re going,” Clor said.

The early weeks of the school year were hectic, and many students quickly began asking for more from the system. The school’s priority is to establish a solid foundation before expanding.

“We’re probably going to spend all of the first trimester just making sure the basics are there,” Clor said. “Once we get up and running and work through some things, we can start offering other opportunities for students during that time. We just need a system to do that.” 

Before Minga, students had greater freedom during Bulldog Block, often using the period however they wished. Now, many hope to see it reshaped into a chance to connect with teachers, get extra help, and prepare for their futures.

“We told teachers yesterday if they want kids to come to their room to get help, they can limit how many kids come, and [the students can] say what they’re going to do,” Clor said.

Junior Nia King said she would like to see more teachers using Bulldog Block through Minga to meet with students. King sees benefits in the platform, such as receiving event notifications and staying updated, but like many classmates, she wishes for more academic options.

“Physics workshops would be nice,” King said. “And I would love SAT help during this time.”

In the past, SAT prep courses, AP practice tests, and finals help were offered on weekends or after school hours. This left many students unable to attend and teachers giving up personal time. Both groups want Bulldog Block to fill that gap.

“SAT Prep is a great idea, and then we try to gain interest from the student body,” Clor said. “We would need additional staff to run it, so it wouldn’t fall on teachers who already have kids in their rooms.”

Clor sees Bulldog Block as a flexible opportunity to meet diverse needs. She works with an advisory board representing different grade levels and different types of students, and she’s open to surveying students and staff again to shape future offerings.

“If they just want a quiet room to study in, we can have an adult host a silent study hall,” Clor said. “If someone wanted to offer a breathwork session, students could register for that too.”

Ultimately, Minga was introduced to meet legal requirements for Bulldog Block, but Clor believes the platform’s real value will come from how students and educators choose to use it.

“We wanted to be really intentional, so that [students and teachers] aren’t wasting their time,” Clor said.