Paly staff members determined that the bell schedule for the entire 2008-09 school year would remain the same as the current second semester bell schedule in a vote in the Tower Building Friday, according to a staff email sent out by Allison Davie-Mullins, Paly’s director of student activities.

Eighty of Paly’s certified staff members voted on the proposed new bell schedules, which included proposals of seventh period blocks and late starts. Paly Social Studies Instructional Supervisor Eric Bloom and Mullins counted the votes this morning, Mullins said.

Two thirds of the vote were needed to make any changes, and 57 out of 80 staff members voted for a change.

However, the votes did not go in favor of having a late start nor blocked seventh period, with either change individually or together: only 50 out of 80, 62.5%, of voters expressed the desire for a later start and 38 out of 80, 47.5%, indicated the desire for a blocked seventh period.

The current second semester schedule, which will be applied to all of the following school year, has regular first through seventh periods on Monday, Tuesday and Friday; an 8:15 a.m. start on Wednesdays; and an early 2:10 p.m. release on Thursday. Thus, the late 8:45 a.m. start would be eliminated from the first semester schedule.

“As of examining our bell schedule this year, I look forward to participating in future staff conversations that might arise out of our WASC [Western Association of Schools and College] findings or future survey results,” Mullins said.