After reflecting over this school year, the Pascack Valley administration has decided to be less lenient with attendance during “Pascack Period” in the 2015-2016 year.

The new schedule that was implemented for the beginning of this school year will continue into the 2015-2016 year with minor modifications.

The newly introduced Pascack Period, while popular among students, presented issues of seniors not returning in time after lunch and students roaming the hallways under the pretense of being elsewhere. As a result, the administration has decided to adjust how Pascack Period is run and require more accountability.

“Pascack Period is meant to have some freedom to it,” Mr. Tom De Maio, the principal of PV, said. “It’s meant to have the ability for students to see teachers, do homework, and have some downtime. There needs to be a little more accountability without taking away some of these freedoms.”

They are also planning to address the open letter written by the Human Rights League during the Pascack Period. The administration hopes to cultivate acceptance of differences of all kinds by implementing different ideas during Pascack Period, many of which come from students.

Freshman Seminar during Pascack Period was also an issue. The curriculum for freshman seminar will be reorganized and reworked to better fit students’ needs.

It is a strong possibility that block days will be moved from Tuesdays and Wednesdays to Wednesdays and Thursdays. According to De Maio, students have indicated a disappointment that “Thursdays alway feel like Fridays.” While it has not been finalized, the Board is leaning towards changing block days to later in the week.

Contrary to some rumors, the number of block days will not change in the 2015-2016 year. Pascack Valley will also be continuing with rotating schedules.

With unit lunch, students have seen longer lines and, as a result, a lack of time to eat.

“Part of that is out of my control,” De Maio said. “A part of that is Pomptonian (the food service provider at Pascack Valley). I would like to see another server or two. I think it might help speed up the lines. There are also things students could do to help speed up this process.”

Pre-ordering lunches and bringing lunch from home, De Maio felt, would shorten lines considerably.

The administration will also be looking into adding seating for students where they can.

The feedback from the past year’s schedule change has been decidedly positive.

“From the feedback I’ve gotten,” De Maio said, “the kids like in particular the block days because the classes have gotten into depth and some of the discussions have gotten very good and it eases up on their homework during the week.”

The only changes that De Maio confirmed as a definite possibility is the shift in block days; however, future changes are a possibility.

“We’re still examining everything,” De Maio said.