Pierce Middle School proposes longer class blocks, daily intervention and activity time for 2027–28
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Dr. Joe D. Antonio, principal of Pierce Middle School, opened a district webinar by saying a yearlong scheduling review aimed to "leverage and lead into the most effective way to educate and engage our students" and improve opportunities for intervention and connection.
The Pierce scheduling committee, made up of teachers, building leaders and central-office staff, presented two preferred models. Dr. Phil Matia, the building scheduler and assistant principal, described an A/B block model with roughly 75-minute class periods designed to allow "deeper learning and active instruction." The committee's alternate hybrid plan keeps A/B block days but adds a shorter "C" continuity day with approximately 43-minute periods so students see teachers more regularly.
"Extended class periods allow for deeper learning and active instruction," said Mr. Colby Gonzalez, an eighth-grade social studies teacher, summarizing the instructional rationale. Presenters said longer blocks reduce transitions and give teachers time for varied activities — small-group work, projects and applied learning — rather than brief, single-focus lessons.
Mrs. Lauren Gibb, a seventh-grade school counselor, described a proposed daily intervention or "Pride" period that would operate every day under the preferred models. "We all collectively as a committee see the value in the intervention period," Gibb said, noting it would provide a regular landing spot for remediation, enrichment, music pullouts and clubs and would make supports more equitable for students who are currently unable to attend pullouts.
Responding to family questions, the team said middle-school start times are expected to remain the same (for example, Stetson and Pierce at 8:05) because transportation routing across high, middle and elementary schools constrains changes. The presenters also said current 30-minute lunch periods could expand to about 40 minutes with roughly 20 minutes for eating and 20 minutes devoted to structured or unstructured activity time, though exact allocations remain to be developed.
Matia also addressed professional development and instructional minutes. He said the district would invest in teacher training to structure longer blocks (workshop- or lab-style lessons) but acknowledged a net decrease in total instructional minutes under some proposals; "there is definitely a decrease over a six-day cycle," he said, and the committee weighed that against the value of deeper instructional practice. The presentation did not specify exact minute totals.
The team noted Pierce is slated for renovation beginning June 2028 with a reopening targeted for 2030; new facilities are expected to create additional spaces to support activity time during lunch. Presenters said the committee's two recommended schedules came out of a broad set of options and site visits — local and out of state — and reflected the group's consensus to prioritize engagement, intervention and alignment with the district's Portrait of a Graduate.
Next steps: the committee has conducted PTO meetings and school webinars, will post materials and a Google feedback form on the district website, and plans to bring the proposals to the West Chester Area School District board for review in June. If approved, the changes would be phased for the 2027–28 school year and initially affect the incoming cohorts identified in the presentation.
The presentation invited families to submit feedback through the district website and said staff would follow up via Pierce Pride communications.
The Pierce scheduling committee, made up of teachers, building leaders and central-office staff, presented two preferred models. Dr. Phil Matia, the building scheduler and assistant principal, described an A/B block model with roughly 75-minute class periods designed to allow "deeper learning and active instruction." The committee's alternate hybrid plan keeps A/B block days but adds a shorter "C" continuity day with approximately 43-minute periods so students see teachers more regularly.
"Extended class periods allow for deeper learning and active instruction," said Mr. Colby Gonzalez, an eighth-grade social studies teacher, summarizing the instructional rationale. Presenters said longer blocks reduce transitions and give teachers time for varied activities — small-group work, projects and applied learning — rather than brief, single-focus lessons.
Mrs. Lauren Gibb, a seventh-grade school counselor, described a proposed daily intervention or "Pride" period that would operate every day under the preferred models. "We all collectively as a committee see the value in the intervention period," Gibb said, noting it would provide a regular landing spot for remediation, enrichment, music pullouts and clubs and would make supports more equitable for students who are currently unable to attend pullouts.
Responding to family questions, the team said middle-school start times are expected to remain the same (for example, Stetson and Pierce at 8:05) because transportation routing across high, middle and elementary schools constrains changes. The presenters also said current 30-minute lunch periods could expand to about 40 minutes with roughly 20 minutes for eating and 20 minutes devoted to structured or unstructured activity time, though exact allocations remain to be developed.
Matia also addressed professional development and instructional minutes. He said the district would invest in teacher training to structure longer blocks (workshop- or lab-style lessons) but acknowledged a net decrease in total instructional minutes under some proposals; "there is definitely a decrease over a six-day cycle," he said, and the committee weighed that against the value of deeper instructional practice. The presentation did not specify exact minute totals.
The team noted Pierce is slated for renovation beginning June 2028 with a reopening targeted for 2030; new facilities are expected to create additional spaces to support activity time during lunch. Presenters said the committee's two recommended schedules came out of a broad set of options and site visits — local and out of state — and reflected the group's consensus to prioritize engagement, intervention and alignment with the district's Portrait of a Graduate.
Next steps: the committee has conducted PTO meetings and school webinars, will post materials and a Google feedback form on the district website, and plans to bring the proposals to the West Chester Area School District board for review in June. If approved, the changes would be phased for the 2027–28 school year and initially affect the incoming cohorts identified in the presentation.
The presentation invited families to submit feedback through the district website and said staff would follow up via Pierce Pride communications.
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