Bromfield School Principal James O'Shea proposed a plan Monday night to do away with directed study periods at the high school, popularly known as study hall.

During a budget session with the School Committee, O'Shea said he would like to create two full-time equivalency teaching positions in physical education, health, or the arts, fields that would offer more instruction time for students during the school day, but not necessarily more homework after school.

"The state would prefer that we didn't have students in any directed studies at all," O'Shea said. "…We would like to fill that empty part of the day with instruction."

O'Shea's request topped his budget "wish list." The town's Finance Committee had asked each department to provide a level-service budget proposal for the next fiscal year, meaning to increase spending only as much as required to maintain their current level of services. The Finance Committee also asked, however, for departments to identify a few budgetary needs that couldn't be addressed in a level-service budget.

Since O'Shea's request is to create new positions, it can't be included in the School Committee's main budget proposal, said Chairman Keith Cheveralls.

"The only way to get it in the core budget is to cut something out, at this point," Cheveralls said.

Currently, O'Shea said, Bromfield high school students are required to take a minimum of six full-time courses out of a possible seven. If the two new positions were created, the school would then mandate seven, O'Shea said. He said it would not be possible if only one of the two positions were created.

Because most students already have a full workload, with six or seven courses, O'Shea said the new course offerings should be self-contained, not requiring extra homework. He said the courses could also be tailored to a recommendation from the Bromfield School Council that the school offer more wellness classes.

"[Wellness] was one of the things our students came to us and talked to us about," O'Shea said.

The members of the School Committee spoke in favor of the plan.

"I like it," said School Committee member Piali De. "The whole study hall thing, I think, is ridiculous."

However, De suggested, the school should set up a committee to create a list of possible new courses and consider more than the "softer classes."

Cheveralls cautioned that it's unclear how much extra funding will be available.

"We are going to have an opportunity of presenting and answering the FinCom questions," he said. "…We can lobby hard for it."