Why do some elementary schools start later?

[Anonymous]

New to the county...is there a reason some elementary schools start at 9:25? It makes it difficult for me to arrange a carpool with my friends kid for their practices in DC and I was just curious as to why they would do this? 3:50 seems super late to be getting out of school.

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately we don’t have enough busses to have all elementary schools start at the same time. A lot of the busses double back after their first elementary school run and do a whole other school.

But, yes, those late schools are miserable for all working parents.

[Anonymous]

Early start ES have buses that serve HS first

Late start ES have buses that serve middle school first

[Anonymous]

I know it will never happen in this county but I wish ES would start first instead of HS, it would benefit both age groups. My sister teaches at an ES in MA that starts at 745!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Early start ES have buses that serve HS first

Late start ES have buses that serve middle school first

I was under the impression that (nearly) every bus did four routes each morning: first HS, then MS, then an early start HS, then a late start ES. Then the same thing in the afternoon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know it will never happen in this county but I wish ES would start first instead of HS, it would benefit both age groups. My sister teaches at an ES in MA that starts at 745!

It would benefit lazy overprivileged kids. It would be a disaster for hard working high schoolers who do EC's and those who need to earn money to contribute for their families or their own college or care for siblings.

[Anonymous]

Because this county is over-crowded and we don’t have the infrastructure to support everyone.

They don’t have enough buses.

We are at a Tier 2 Elementary school and I have always hated the late start (9:25) and late dismissal (3:50). Most kindergarteners are totally beat by dismissal. It’s simply too late.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because this county is over-crowded and we don’t have the infrastructure to support everyone.

They don’t have enough buses.

We are at a Tier 2 Elementary school and I have always hated the late start (9:25) and late dismissal (3:50). Most kindergarteners are totally beat by dismissal. It’s simply too late.

It really is too late because it’s not like they walk in the door at 3:50. Once the bus drops them and they slowly walk home (starving and tired) it’s really 4:30. Makes hw, afternoon extracurriculars and play dates more difficult. We switched to a tier one mid elem and walking in the door at 3:45 was a huge difference.

[Anonymous]

Magnets and immersions schools start later because it gives people time to get there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because this county is over-crowded and we don’t have the infrastructure to support everyone.

They don’t have enough buses.

We are at a Tier 2 Elementary school and I have always hated the late start (9:25) and late dismissal (3:50). Most kindergarteners are totally beat by dismissal. It’s simply too late.

It really is too late because it’s not like they walk in the door at 3:50. Once the bus drops them and they slowly walk home (starving and tired) it’s really 4:30. Makes hw, afternoon extracurriculars and play dates more difficult. We switched to a tier one mid elem and walking in the door at 3:45 was a huge difference.

Yep. Our bus didn’t drop the kids off until 4:20, at the earliest. Most five, six, seven years olds are pretty worn down by then. MCPS extended the school day an extra 10 minutes a few years ago and that made it all even worse for the little kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know it will never happen in this county but I wish ES would start first instead of HS, it would benefit both age groups. My sister teaches at an ES in MA that starts at 745!

They did this in Anne Arundel County now!

MCPS is just too big and it’s too logistically challenging to shift the start times, unfortunately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Magnets and immersions schools start later because it gives people time to get there.

Maybe those are deliberately assigned to the later group, but they aren’t the only ones to start later.

Also, my ES magnet kid didn’t get home until about 4:40, and they had one of the shorter bus rides. Would have vastly preferred the earlier time slot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Early start ES have buses that serve HS first

Late start ES have buses that serve middle school first

I was under the impression that (nearly) every bus did four routes each morning: first HS, then MS, then an early start HS, then a late start ES. Then the same thing in the afternoon.

Not for the two ES we go to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New to the county...is there a reason some elementary schools start at 9:25? It makes it difficult for me to arrange a carpool with my friends kid for their practices in DC and I was just curious as to why they would do this? 3:50 seems super late to be getting out of school.

When parents in the more affluent areas request a late start, the county accommodates them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know it will never happen in this county but I wish ES would start first instead of HS, it would benefit both age groups. My sister teaches at an ES in MA that starts at 745!

It would benefit lazy overprivileged kids. It would be a disaster for hard working high schoolers who do EC's and those who need to earn money to contribute for their families or their own college or care for siblings.

Somehow HS students manage to do this in areas with later start times. And yeah, the fact that you pin this on "lazy" kids means you are not up to speed on the current research. Bye!