Effects of Budget Cuts, School Transportation
Posted by Sean Gardinier on April 3rd, 2008
Our middle school already has a late start. Instructional time officially begins at 8:40am and ends at 3:35pm. Though there is some research supporting late starts for middle school, the main reason we start late is student transportation logistics. Many of our students take the school bus to and from our campus every day. Transportation is staggered based on school start and end times to be more efficient and cost effective. With state budget cuts around the corner, our school district has to find more creative ways to operate on a shrinking budget.
At our staff meeting this past Tuesday (April 1st), we were notified that our schedule next year will be modified to start at 9:15am and end at 4:10pm. I really thought this was a joke and shouted out, “April Fools!” My VP replied, “I wish this was April Fools.” Apparently, the district is planning to stagger bus schedules to schools with three different start times. This would allow a bus to make three routes each day instead of two.
In tough times, school districts are forced to make these decisions even knowing the negative impact it will have on students. Many students were immediately apposed to the proposed schedule change and I’m sure parents will be very upset when the word gets around. Students readily pointed out that after-school activities such as sports will be affected, parents providing transportation will be impacted, and fatigue will affect focus during the last period of the day. For students who take the bus, afternoon rush-hour traffic will lengthen their commute while reducing homework time and tutoring opportunities.
April 8th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Right behind you! Already having trouble getting my kid to school with an 8:30 start time for job and school!
April 11th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
A parent came in today to circulate a petition for students to sign in appose to the schedule change. I allowed the students and the parent to use my classroom as home base but wanted to make sure that I remained neutral in the effort. I did no more than allow this to happen during lunch time and advisory period (non-instructional time). I’m not sure if the district will take the signatures as consideration but I applaud (silently) their efforts. I haven’t heard a single person in favor of school until 4:10pm. Our principal previously was proposing and earlier start from the beginning of this school year.