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Schools

New School Start Times Go into Effect Next Fall, Board Says

High school hours will be 7:05 a.m. to 2:10 p.m.; middle school, 7:55 a.m. to 2:55 p.m.; and elementary school, 9:05 a.m. to 3:40 p.m.

The board has officially set new school times for the 2011-12 school year in an effort to save about $600,000 on busing costs.

High school students will attend school from 7:05 a.m. to 2:10 p.m. Middle school students will attend school from 7:55 a.m. to 2:55 p.m. and elementary schools, except for Lakewood Falls Elementary School, will attend from 9:05 a.m. to 3:40 p.m.

Students at Lakewood Falls, because of their close proximity to Creekside Elementary School, will attend school from 8:55 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This will allow traffic to flow better through the area, officials said.

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The new times, approved by the school board Monday, are slightly different than those announced in February, when the board implemented a new “triple tier bus” schedule, consolidating bus routes and eliminating the need for about 30 buses. The move was done to save about $600,000.

In February, it was announced that the elementary schools would be in session from 9:10 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.; middle school hours would be 8 a.m. to 3:01 p.m. and high school hours would be 7:05 a.m. to 2:16 p.m.

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In addition to the new times, the six-minute passing period for high school students has been reduced to five minutes, Supt. John Harper said. Those saved minutes will allow the elementary school students to be released a bit earlier, he said.

School board President Stuart Bledsoe said the board understands the concerns that some parents had with high school students starting their school day at 7:05 a.m. Parents have told the school board that with the extra demands on high school students, including after-school jobs, sports, extracurricular activities and homework, students should start their day later.

Bledsoe said the board will monitor the new schedule closely and can adjust the school times in the future if warranted.

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