The teachers have voted to keep the five-day rotation for another year instead of returning to a seven-day block schedule. The Bell Schedule Recommendation Committee met for the first time on Feb. 27 to begin work on a modified five-day schedule, which teachers will compare to the current model in the next round of voting, tentatively scheduled for early April.

English teacher Mercedes Foster, who is the site representative for the teachers union, executed the vote while social studies teacher Dave Keller counted ballots and Associated Piedmont Teachers (APT) president Gabrielle Kashani coordinated the voting process.

Sixty-seven faculty and staff members cast ballots.

“We were surprised and really happy at the unprecedented turnout,” Foster said.

The PUSD contract gives teachers the right to vote on the bell schedule, and a new schedule needs at least 55 percent of teacher support, Kashani said.

However, the five-day schedule received far more than the required percentage, with 51 votes compared to 16 for the 7-day rotation.

“We had two formal discussion as a staff this year, and one or maybe more than one last year,” Kashani said. “We’ve also had lots of informal discussions at lunch, in the hallways, in the bathrooms.”

Although students cannot vote, they are encouraged to email Assistant Principal Eric Mapes with recommendations or attend Site Council meetings, the next of which is this Thursday, March 19, from 3:30-5:00 p.m. in the student center. There will also be an Informational Night regarding the schedule for parents and students from 7:00-8:30 p.m. on March 31 in the library.

“I want to keep all of this as open as possible,” Mapes said. “I want people to see how much work goes into this, how thoughtful it is.”

The Bell Schedule Recommendation Committee, comprised of certificated and classified PHS and MHS staff from every department, has been considering flipping sixth and seventh periods so that students will not repeatedly miss the same class for sports, lengthening passing periods on Mondays, adding five minutes to a period on Tuesday and Thursday for announcements, and moving all mandatory tutorial periods to Friday.

“It’s likely that the seven-period Monday will stay, but I don’t know that for sure,” said social studies teacher Ali Cota, who is on the committee.

Once the teachers have selected the bell schedule, Principal Brent Daniels, Superintendent Connie Hubbard and the Board of Education will have to approve the schedule before it is adopted.

Mapes hopes that the Board will receive the schedule for their April 22 meeting.

If the schedule is not approved, the Bell Schedule Recommendation Committee will go back to the drawing board or keep the current schedule, Mapes said.

Although the Bell Schedule Recommendation Committee meetings are not open to students or parents, Mapes wants to be as transparent as possible with everyone in the PHS and MHS community and will divulge scheduling details if requested.