Adam Rose/FOXGlee fans, don't look now, but McKinley High's teachers' lounge is starting to look all desolate and tumbleweedy.
After word broke that Jayma Mays is moving to a new CBS show (Will Arnett's The Millers), we caught up with fellow faculty member Dot Marie Jones (Coach Bieste), who tells us she has not yet been picked up for season five.
"I'm still waiting to see if I'm coming back to Glee," Jones told E! News at the opening for Michael Jackson ONE in Las Vegas. "I pray to God I am! It's the best job I've had in my life."
As we reported earlier, Amber Riley (Mercedes), Harry Shum Jr. (Mike Chan), Heather Morris (Brittany) and Mark Salling (Puck) won't return as series regulars.
And now, five other actors have been promoted to series regulars: Melissa Benoist (Marley), Jacob Artist (Jake), Becca Tobin (Kitty), Blake Jenner (Ryder) and Alex Newell (Unique).
We can also confirm that Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Chris Colfer, Kevin McHale and Jane Lynch will be returning.
"I'm thankful every day [for my job on Glee]," Jones told us. "I mean, this is my 23rd year in the business and, and then to have two nominations for an Emmy the past two years? It's surreal."
At Sunday's BET Awards, Naya Rivera (Santana) confirmed she'll be back on Glee for season five—yes, Santana will survive the loss of Brittany (Heather Morris) from the show—and although there are no plans for her real-life boyfriend Big Sean to do a guest spot, "He's definitely a Gleek!" she tells us.
Santana and Brittany obviously won't be together for the time being (since Morris is not returning as a regular), and Naya told us recently, "I've been saying for a while that I thought when we come back for season five, I would love to explore Santana as this independent adult living in this new city and what that means for her love life and all that good stuff."
Production on Glee's season five begins mid July.
—Additional reporting by Marc Malkin