Say goodbye to minimum-day Wednesdays.
A recent proposed schedule change could soon impact school hours at Granite Hills High School and the rest of the district, raising questions among parents and staff about how the new timing will affect daily routines.
Allegedly, the Porterville Unified School Board made a statement saying school will now be released at 3:40 p.m. every Wednesday instead of the usual 2 p.m. release time. This change is mandated due to the PUSD district office’s failure to properly schedule the minimum number of academic hours for the 2025-26 school year.
Originally, students were supposed to have five minutes taken away from their Wednesday lunch through the middle of May, but after further calculations, it was determined that PUSD still came up short.
That means students will have to stay in class until 3:40 p.m. on Wednesdays, just like every other day of the week. Instead of leaving at 2 p.m., students will report to their first-period class for a study hall session until it is time to go.
“Honestly, this isn’t the end of the world,” Granite Hills English teacher Mr. Marquez said. “Students need the extra time in the classroom. They could really benefit from the extra instruction. We are here to give students a proper education. This is one way of showing them that things don’t always work out the way they expect.”
This schedule change is mandatory for students to log the minimum required academic hours in the classroom and to prevent the district from facing harsh penalties.
PUSD refused to comment on the schedule change.
Students who do not follow the new schedule will face disciplinary actions. Seniors will not be allowed to graduate and will have to attend school for an extra two weeks, which will push back graduation until the end of June.
Not only that, but a new California Law, Proposition ABCD-1234, will force certain students to attend school for six days a week instead of five beginning the 2026-27 school year. Students who miss a day of school during the week will be required to show up on Saturday. Also, students who have at least one F on their Aeries Report Card by the end of the day on Friday will have to show up to Saturday school.
For many students, six days of school will become the norm.
The Grizzly Gazette went around to ask school leaders what they thought about this news.
“I’m irritated, I just want to graduate already,” ASB President Jose Navarro said.
As for school administration, they’re fully on board.
“It’s absolutely necessary to have a sixth day at school,” Granite Hills assistant principal Mr. Plyman said. “I support it to improve student attendance, academics, and then build a good culture of showing up every day.”
For those readers who actually made it to the end of the article, congratulations, you did it – April Fools!
