Fallbrook trustees vote to return high schools to semester schedule after three years of trimesters

The Fallbrook Union High School District Board of Trustees voted 3–2 on June 10 to transition the district’s instructional schedule from trimesters back to semesters, reversing a change implemented three years earlier.

Trustee Paul Christensen moved the resolution; Trustee Chris Haskell seconded it. The board recorded yes votes from the trustees identified in the meeting record as Mr. K(ario)/Kalampio, Christensen and Haskell; trustees Eddie Jones and Miss Rodarte voted no.

Supporters of the change argued semester schedules restore year‑long continuity with the same teacher, which they said supports deeper learning, stable student–teacher relationships and consistent delivery of rigorous coursework. Multiple public commenters and several teachers who addressed the board said they believed 12‑week trimesters reduced opportunities for sustained instruction in core subjects and risked diluted rigor and increased opportunities for academic dishonesty in online recovery courses.

Opponents and several parents and students urged retention of the trimester system. They told the board trimesters increase students’ opportunities to earn credits, provide more frequent chances for academic recovery and expand elective and career‑technical offerings. Student and parent speakers described the trimester model as enabling faster credit recovery and broader course access, particularly for student athletes and students seeking dual enrollment or multiple CTE pathways.

The board and staff discussed the estimated fiscal effect and personnel implications. Chief business officer Brenda Mefford had previously presented supporting analysis that projected an estimated one‑time or recurring savings (district estimate) of about $319,423 if the district moved to semesters, contingent on reductions that include a projected reduction of five certificated full‑time equivalents in the district’s staffing assumptions. Mefford and trustees emphasized that negotiated salary and staffing impacts must follow collective bargaining and existing labor agreements.

Superintendent Elsa Gara Gonzalez told the board the administration will return revised calendars and implementation details following the board action and customary consultation with bargaining units. The superintendent and board members also noted that some implementation details — including specific reductions, summer‑school changes, transportation needs and scheduling for AP/dual‑enrollment courses — require further administrative planning and negotiation.

The board directed staff to prepare semester calendars and to present necessary implementation steps and estimated fiscal impacts at a subsequent meeting. Trustees also voted not to approve the instructional calendars as originally presented (which had been prepared for a trimester calendar) so staff could update them to reflect the adopted semester schedule.

What happens next: staff will draft semester calendars, identify scheduling and personnel changes that require negotiation and return to the board with implementation timelines and any required action items. The board set the next regular meeting for June 23, 2026.