East Union High School will go the way of the other secondary campuses in Manteca Unified by implementing block scheduling if the Board of Trustees at their meeting tonight gives its blessing.

If it gets approval, the Lancer campus on North Union Road would have block scheduling in place at the beginning of 2015-2016 school year in August.

The move has been approved by East Union staff and teachers following the formation last year of a committee of teachers to investigate the block schedule model.

Last year, two high school campuses were approved by the school board to start block scheduling at the start of the school year in August. They are Weston Ranch High School in Stockton and Manteca High. The approval of East Union’s proposal to go the same route will round out to three the number of high schools in the district going on block schedule.

Approval of East Union’s plan also will make all of the district’s comprehensive high schools simultaneously going on the same scheduling template. Sierra High School and Lathrop High School have been on block schedule for years.

There are two types of block scheduling. The four-by-four, also known simply as four-block system, means the students will be taking four classes the first semester, and another four classes the second semester. The class sessions will be longer than those under the traditional class format – from 55 to 90 minutes. One of the advantages to the four-block system, it was pointed out to the board members, is it will give the students more opportunity to take Advance Placement as well as elective classes.

Under the A/B or On-Off block system, the students are offered eight courses that they will attend throughout the school year and not just half of the year. The schedule could offer courses Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and Tuesday and Thursday courses each week, and have them flipped the following week.

Manteca Unified’s block system follows the first plan.

The open session of the Board of Trustees’ meeting tonight will begin at 7 p.m. in the board room of the school district building, 2271 East Louise Avenue, corner South Airport Way.