With feedback compiled from surveys and forums about the bell schedule pilot, the administration may institute changes beginning next semester or next school year.

The online survey and forums were designed to gather feedback from teachers, parents and students about the bell schedule pilot. The staff will consider this feedback in selecting a rotation for next year and potentially modifying it.

One concern is that students frequently miss either period 6 or period 7 for sports competitions. Beginning second semester, the school might flip periods 6 and 7 on Tuesday and Wednesday or on Thursday and Friday. This proposal was discussed and voted on during the Jan. 9 staff meeting, Assistant Principal Eric Mapes said.

Any change to the schedule would require a majority vote from the faculty and support from the school board and superintendent, principal Brent Daniels said.

“The survey was designed to inform the administration and the faculty that is voting,” Daniels said.

The staff will likely vote in February on whether to keep a 5-day rotation or return to a 7-day rotation, Mapes said.

“[Following that decision,] we as a committee would see if we want tomodify the bell schedule for next year,” Mapes said.

If the staff decides to continue with the 5-day block schedule, potential modifications include moving third period to before brunch and increasing the length of passing periods on Mondays.

The responses from the student forums will influence whether the school will continue the 5-day rotation, return to the 7-day rotation or consider a new iteration of the 5-day rotation for next school year, Daniels said.

“That decision should be driven by input from staff, parents and students to determine what recommendation will be made to the board,” Daniels said.

The administration planned to seek student feedback on the bell schedule pilot from its inception, Mapes said.

“The student forums were gonna happen, no matter what,” Mapes said. “But I wanted to wait for a little while until the students and staff were used to the new schedule so I wasn’t getting the honeymoon side of it or the nightmare side of it.”

In September, students created a Change.org petition to protest weekend homework that generated 316 signatures. In response to the petition, the administration decided it was time to begin the forums. Mapes sent letters to all students who had signed the petition inviting them to participate in the forums, and publicized the forums through email and the daily announcements.

“The best place to ensure that students have opportunities to share their voice is in face-to-face forums,” Daniels said.

As of Dec. 17, there had been four student forums with 14 students total. They have all been held before school on Tuesdays and Fridays, Mapes said.

“I didn’t get the number of responses that I wanted to get,” Mapes said.

As of Dec. 9, the survey had generated 140 responses, including 69 from parents and 45 from students.

Compliments about the 5-day rotation included the increased opportunity to sleep and the regularity. Complaints included the pace of Mondays, irregular tutorial time and missing periods 6 and 7 for sports, Daniels said.

“We’ll see if we can address [those suggestions for improvement] in a new iteration of the bell schedule,” Daniels said.

Overall, Daniels feels that the process of gathering compliments and suggestions about the schedule has been effective.

“I’ll be dedicating my time to providing a recommendation to the teachers and the board on a schedule that best serves our students,” Daniels said.

Junior Julia Kelly attended a forum in October because she wanted better communication between students and faculty.

“It was effective,” Kelly said. “I felt like they listened to us and we had a good discussion.”

Mapes said that the student forums will continue throughout the school year. He is also available if students want to meet with him individually or in groups before or after school or during brunch and lunch.

“My door is always open,” Mapes said. “This is your school. It’s important that we [the administration] hear how you’re feeling about what’s going on at our school.”