It was revealed this week that Barrington High School students attend class for less time than their peers throughout Rhode Island, and they have done so for years. Regardless of how the community reacts to that news — and laughter, frustration, embarrassment, anger or bravado are all in play — the community should take a moment to talk about this.

Talking points include:

• If Barrington High School students achieve at the highest levels in Rhode Island, does instructional time even matter?
• Do BHS students achieve because of socioeconomics and family investments in education; because of instruction and curriculum; or both?
• Is rigor what it should be for the “best” public high school in Rhode Island?
• Given its exceptional outcomes, should BHS be bound by Rhode Island Department of Education regulations (which call for a minimum of 330 minutes of instructional time per day), or should the school be free to follow its own program?
• How did this happen, and why did no one recognize this for years?
• Do study halls provide critical downtime in a high-stress, high-demand environment, or do they create goof-off periods for students?
• If BHS students and staff don’t even meet the minimum for class time, what might they achieve if they rise to the minimum — or go beyond it?

Unless it asks for permission to be treated differently than every other public high school in Rhode Island, which some will recommend, BHS must confront its schedule flaws and adopt a new system for the next school year. As it does, it should welcome a community conversation that engages students, staff and parents in the process.

Generally speaking, the students are outraged about the potential elimination of study halls, and who can blame them? They’ve enjoyed a luxury for years that may get taken away. The school just took their phones away; now it’s coming for their study halls.

While the student voice matters in this discussion, it can’t carry the day. There are rules, realities and adversities in life, and this may just be one of them. BHS may have no choice but to comply with the standard. How they comply can set the standard for the next generation of BHS students.