By Uy Pham
Teachers at Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) are considering both traditional and block formats as potential bell schedule options for next school year. This is in contrast to teachers only considering traditional options during the bell schedule selection process for the 2022-2023 school year.
“With the 8:30 [a.m.] start time, I think a lot of teachers are thrown off by the length of the periods and the end of the school day. We wanted something that would maybe better accommodate everyone’s needs,” English teacher and FVHS District Educators Association (DEA) site lead Stephanie Palmer said.
Currently, the teachers have only voted upon two potential traditional bell schedule options. The vote regarding block bell schedule options will occur next week.
Both of the traditional schedules will remove the current ten-minute break for students; only a passing period will remain. Passing periods would be shortened to seven minutes. One option will have a zero period, while the other option will substitute a zero period for a seventh period.
According to Palmer, athletics would most likely remain as a sixth period for either model. Therefore, athletes would likely be limited to only six classes in the model without a zero period.
“[These are only] models because there’s a very large complicated district formula that all the schedules have to be put into. It includes modified days, special schedules, like finals and testing and minimum days,” Palmer said. “If we get one of those models put in with special schedules, and it doesn’t meet the minutes, we have to mess with [the minutes] a little bit… It’s important to keep in mind that it won’t look exactly like that.”
To adopt a bell schedule, all high schools in the Huntington Beach Union High School District (HBUHSD) have to follow a process established in the contract between the Board of Trustees and the DEA.
Typically, the contract only permits for this process to be completed every four years. The process completed during the 2021-2022 school year determined this year’s 2022-2023 bell schedule. Teachers may choose to trigger an option at the end of the first year (2022-2023) to initiate the bell schedule selection process (2023-2024) for a new bell schedule in the third year (2024-2025). The new bell schedule would remain for the final two years of the original four-year cycle.
Teachers voted earlier this year to change the Monday modified schedule beginning the second semester. To change the schedule, the DEA and HBUHSD had to agree to the change, which occurred outside of the four-year schedule process. The signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is an agreement between the teachers and district on certain terms as a one-time exception to contract language; this would permit the bell schedule change for next school year.
“The [MOU] is in the works,” Palmer said. “It seems like it’s being stalled, but here at FVHS, we’re just going ahead with the process as though it will be signed.”
Last year, 1,891 students were surveyed regarding their preference between bell schedule options. 67.5% of students preferred a traditional schedule compared to a block option.
“We’re also kind of relying [on] that data from [the survey] last year,” Palmer said when asked about student input. “I can’t say definitely whether there will be or not, but we’re in such a time crunch here… this data is still pretty fresh, we can definitely refer to this data.”
However, some students feel that their voices should be reassessed in a more direct manner.
“If you need a solution, let us future leaders help,” sophomore Zac Leach said. “We’re affected by this bell schedule and it’s completely different, [but] the adults need to meet the requirements. Allow us to brainstorm and create branches in order to [hear] the voices. Allow everyone to get involved.”
Once the teachers vote upon the two block schedule options, one block option and one traditional option will be selected. A final bell schedule will be decided based on the two options.
The selected bell schedule, if approved by the district, will be for next school year. If not, the schedule will change for the following school year per the trigger option of the four-year cycle.
“Just know, we have the students’ best interest at heart. There’s a lot of involvement, and we’re trying to be very transparent with the teachers and let them have a lot of input,” Palmer said. “Although a little hectic, I’m pretty happy with the process so far.”
