School Counseling » Understanding the 18-Block Class Schedule

Understanding the 18-Block Class Schedule

In 2026, Independence Middle School introduced a new bell schedule built around 20-minute instructional blocks. The school day consists of 18 blocks, with core Math and ELA classes spanning three blocks (60 minutes) and all other classes spanning two blocks (40 minutes). Lunch is also two blocks (40 minutes).

When viewing schedules in Focus, students will see a Start Block and End Block for each class:

  • Math or ELA (example): Start Block 1 → End Block 3 (60 minutes)
  • All other classes (example): Start Block 7 → End Block 8 (40 minutes)


Reference graphics are attached to help visualize the schedule. Feel free to print them out for easy reference at home. You can find all of IMS' potential bell schedules here.

18-Block Schedule
Schedule Comparison