Fayetteville-Manlius High School students and staff will have a new bell schedule to follow for the 2025-26 school year.
The change comes as the high school capital project is set to reach new milestones and the district continues its focus on the mental health and wellbeing of students.
The new bell schedule for 2025-26 is expected to be temporary and will be replaced by a new and permanent bell schedule starting in the 2026-27 school year.
By implementing changes over a 2-year period, the district will be able to better prepare for the development of a 30-minute lunch period for all students (set to launch in 2026-27). Additionally, by implementing slight changes to next year’s schedule, it will help minimize disruptions to the scheduling process, which is currently underway by high school staff.
Key changes for 2025-26
Class periods lengthened by 1 minute
With the exception of period 2, all periods will change from 40 minutes to 41 minutes. Period 2 will be 46 minutes. The additional 5 minutes will allow time for the morning announcements and for teachers to take daily attendance. The longer periods will ensure the school is aligned with the New York State Education Department’s requirements for instructional time.
Passing time between periods reduced by 1 minute
The time between periods 1-4 and 7-8 will be reduced from 6 minutes to 5 minutes. This change will be supported by the improved connectivity between House 1 and 2 as a result of capital project work.
Period 8 to end 1 minute later
Period 8 will end at 2:08 p.m. instead of 2:07 p.m.
20-minute wellness break to become three 10-minute breaks between periods
The time between periods 4-7 will change from 6 minutes to 10 minutes. This change will be supported by the discontinuation of the current 20-minute wellness break.
The wellness break was introduced at the high school during the COVID-19 pandemic and was established to provide students with a mask break to eat lunch while remaining socially distant. With the pandemic in the rear-view mirror, the wellness break no longer serves its intended purpose.
To support students who have enrolled in 8 classes next year and intended to use the wellness break to eat, those students will be able to get lunch during any one of the three extended 10-minute passing times between class periods. The multiple 10-minute passing times mixed in during the lunch periods will allow for individual flexibility as a particular student’s routine or obligations may change on a day-to-day basis.
The longer break will afford students the opportunity to get lunch at any of the three lunch line/food service areas in the expanded/new cafeteria or two snack-shacks. To expedite the process, students who are enrolled in 8 classes may obtain a pass to jump to the front of the line, get lunch and bring it back to class to eat.
In light of these changes, if a student elected to take 8 classes next year, but would prefer to take 7 classes with a designated lunch period, they may contact their school counselor by June 30, 2025 to discuss changing their schedule.
2025-26 HS bell schedule
First Warning Bell: 7:40 a.m.
Second Warning Bell: 7:44 a.m.
Period 1: 7:45-8:26 a.m. (41 minutes)
5 minutes between periods
Period 2: 8:31-9:17 a.m. (46 minutes)
5 minutes between periods
Period 3: 9:22-10:03 a.m. (41 minutes)
5 minutes between periods
Period 4: 10:08-10:49 a.m. (41 minutes)
10 minutes between periods
Period 5: 10:59-11:40 a.m. (41 minutes)
10 minutes between periods
Period 6: 11:50 a.m.-12:31 p.m. (41 minutes)
10 minutes between periods
Period 7: 12:41-1:22 p.m. (41 minutes)
5 minutes between periods
Period 8: 1:27-2:08 p.m. (41 minutes)
Dismissal:
- Students using buses dismissed: 2:08 p.m.
- Students being picked up dismissed: 2:10 p.m.
- Student drivers dismissed: 2:11 p.m.