Elementary parents, pay attention to start times

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I do not agree with moving ES start times. We already have a 9:20 start. If my DD does a club after school she doesn’t get out till 5:30. Delaying the day by a half hour she would not be out till almost 6PM. Leaves no time for swim team or other activities.

Are you seriously putting your ES child in multiple extracurriculars during weekdays?

OP here my DD does swim 2 x a week and Girl Scouts. She now has joined activities after school. All by her choice. Getting out 5:30 2 times a week is an issue but 6 would not work. So she would not be able to participate at her school’s activities. Elementary normal time of 4:05 is to late for little kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I do not agree with moving ES start times. We already have a 9:20 start. If my DD does a club after school she doesn’t get out till 5:30. Delaying the day by a half hour she would not be out till almost 6PM. Leaves no time for swim team or other activities.

Are you seriously putting your ES child in multiple extracurriculars during weekdays?

I am a 5th grade teacher and most of my students participate in multiple activities. I have been teaching for a very long time. This isn’t new.

It's not new, but the ovrerscheduling has gotten a bit out of control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the schedules should remain the same.

But, all this outrage from the ES parents is a little bizarre. Is it that they don't want to pay for before-care? I

Before care isn’t as widely available as after care, as after care often translates into other after school activities. For example, it’s easy to staff a martial arts afterschool program because they’ll blend into evening classes.

The waitlist for before care SACC at late start elementary schools is long and the demand is high. Many parents already hate the 9:20 start time. Pushing it to 9:50 is adding salt to the wound.

False. SACC waitlists are much longer for aftercare. Hardly anyone is using the morning precare year after year.

You're such an idiot. This may be true at your high SES lots of SAHMommies school, but at schools with normal families who have two working parents, the waitlist for before care can be a year long - meaning, kindergarteners rarely get in unless they have a sibling already in the school. This is the case at my school and several others that I'm aware of.

wow! You just showed your true colors! What in the world do you consider a ‘normal’ family? You are unhinged and repeatedly barking the same nonsense with each of your responses. The world and Fairfax don’t revolve around you. The county will make a decision based on the community at large and what is in the best interest of the collective whole of the children population. This is not about you picking your operational hours at your elementary school because that suits you and your early rising child. This is not about you saving or spending more money on pre-care or after-care. This is for the betterment of the Fairfax community at large. Your selfish motives are transparent by the way you keep replying again and again to this thread.

It's such a joke that you think everything working parents do is about childcare and money. Nope, sorry, this is about what is best for my child. Being in school from 9:50-4:45 is not best for my child. It might be great for me b/c I wouldn't need aftercare, but I don't care about what's best for me, I care about what's best for my child. Just like you.

This! What is best for ALL kids is school during reasonable hours. 8-4 range.

Speaking for ALL kids just makes you look foolish. The only kids you speak for are your own.

Different poster. The PP said school within 8-4. You think kids should go earlier or later than that? This whole thread is about appropriate start times. Before 8 is ridiculous. After 4 is also ridiculous. Those ate reasonable hours for all grade levels.

Again - this is your opinion. Other people disagree, as is their right. I personally prefer the later start times and getting out after 4 isn't a problem for our family. Please stop telling other people their opinions are ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It is silly. For kids who need more sleep, parents need to be parents and have them go to bed. My HS kid has some activities that start at 3:30, and others that start at 7:30 and don't let out till 9:30 PM. A later start would be nice but a nightmare.

I read somewhere that they were kicking elementary to a really late start. What a nightmare for parents and kids.

Its actually welcomed in our neighborhood.

Same here! I find it really funny that some posters think they can speak for everyone. For us, later elementary time is great.

A 10:00am elementary school start is "welcomed" in your entire neighborhood? I don't believe that.

It doesn't really matter what you "believe." You're welcome to your opinion about start times and I am as well. As are my neighbors who, yes - love the idea of a later start. Sorry!

Do none of your neighbors have kids that play sports? My oldest is in 3rd grade and it's already been two years of kiss and ride pick ups everyday just to get to practice on time (currently a late run school ending at 4:05) anything later than that it would make it impossible.

You’re speaking from a privileged viewpoint. Lots of kids don’t do anything afterschool. Costs money to do sports; need to have a family member available to drive them to activities. If they do something it is to go to SACC and stay until 6PM. In these cases, getting out of school at 4:30 or 5 doesn’t have any impact on their life or their schedule.

A privileged viewpoint is actually that parents have the option to stay home with their children until a 10 AM school day.

There are services that offer childcare & transportation in the morning if you don’t get into SACC like the daycare vans or the karate vans. people hire babysitters or use a daycare that is on a bus route zoned for their school. There are options beside quitting your job to sit at home until 10 every day.

Likely written by a full time stay at home mom--or a "work from home mom" who takes advantage of her employer.

DP. The chip on your shoulder is absolutely enormous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I do not agree with moving ES start times. We already have a 9:20 start. If my DD does a club after school she doesn’t get out till 5:30. Delaying the day by a half hour she would not be out till almost 6PM. Leaves no time for swim team or other activities.

Are you seriously putting your ES child in multiple extracurriculars during weekdays?

Not the poster you're responding to but my own experience as a parent to 2 lower elementary aged kids - Soccer practice for our local rec league is 2x a week for 1-1.5 hrs (x2 kids with different schedules). My kids also do hebrew school which meets once during the week for 2.5 hours. Adding in something like swim lessons, dance, karate, baseball, gymnastics, piano etc would move us to 4 or 5 days a week of afterschool activities and all of those activities add extra days or hours in if you advance to higher levels.

My kids were the odd ones out in the fall because they only did 1 sport. At least in our area (west springfield/lake braddock area), it's incredibly common to have your child in multiple extracurriculars starting as early as kindergarten.

This sounds miserable, chaotic, and tiring. Your poor overscheduled kids.
DP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I do not agree with moving ES start times. We already have a 9:20 start. If my DD does a club after school she doesn’t get out till 5:30. Delaying the day by a half hour she would not be out till almost 6PM. Leaves no time for swim team or other activities.

Are you seriously putting your ES child in multiple extracurriculars during weekdays?

Are you seriously not?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It is silly. For kids who need more sleep, parents need to be parents and have them go to bed. My HS kid has some activities that start at 3:30, and others that start at 7:30 and don't let out till 9:30 PM. A later start would be nice but a nightmare.

I read somewhere that they were kicking elementary to a really late start. What a nightmare for parents and kids.

Its actually welcomed in our neighborhood.

Same here! I find it really funny that some posters think they can speak for everyone. For us, later elementary time is great.

A 10:00am elementary school start is "welcomed" in your entire neighborhood? I don't believe that.

It doesn't really matter what you "believe." You're welcome to your opinion about start times and I am as well. As are my neighbors who, yes - love the idea of a later start. Sorry!

Do none of your neighbors have kids that play sports? My oldest is in 3rd grade and it's already been two years of kiss and ride pick ups everyday just to get to practice on time (currently a late run school ending at 4:05) anything later than that it would make it impossible.

You’re speaking from a privileged viewpoint. Lots of kids don’t do anything afterschool. Costs money to do sports; need to have a family member available to drive them to activities. If they do something it is to go to SACC and stay until 6PM. In these cases, getting out of school at 4:30 or 5 doesn’t have any impact on their life or their schedule.

A privileged viewpoint is actually that parents have the option to stay home with their children until a 10 AM school day.

There are services that offer childcare & transportation in the morning if you don’t get into SACC like the daycare vans or the karate vans. people hire babysitters or use a daycare that is on a bus route zoned for their school. There are options beside quitting your job to sit at home until 10 every day.

Likely written by a full time stay at home mom--or a "work from home mom" who takes advantage of her employer.

DP. The chip on your shoulder is absolutely enormous.

Step out of your bubble sometime, eh?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I do not agree with moving ES start times. We already have a 9:20 start. If my DD does a club after school she doesn’t get out till 5:30. Delaying the day by a half hour she would not be out till almost 6PM. Leaves no time for swim team or other activities.

Are you seriously putting your ES child in multiple extracurriculars during weekdays?

Not the poster you're responding to but my own experience as a parent to 2 lower elementary aged kids - Soccer practice for our local rec league is 2x a week for 1-1.5 hrs (x2 kids with different schedules). My kids also do hebrew school which meets once during the week for 2.5 hours. Adding in something like swim lessons, dance, karate, baseball, gymnastics, piano etc would move us to 4 or 5 days a week of afterschool activities and all of those activities add extra days or hours in if you advance to higher levels.

My kids were the odd ones out in the fall because they only did 1 sport. At least in our area (west springfield/lake braddock area), it's incredibly common to have your child in multiple extracurriculars starting as early as kindergarten.

This sounds miserable, chaotic, and tiring. Your poor overscheduled kids.
DP

Spoken like a lower energy person. I was in a lot of activities as a kid and thrived. I always did very well in school (which was always prioritized) and had my college tuition paid for by a sport. I feel better when I am busy and moving a lot. Sitting around with a lot of unstructured time has always made me feel out of sorts. Everyone is free to do what works best for their kids. Just because you and yours don’t like it doesn’t mean others can’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I do not agree with moving ES start times. We already have a 9:20 start. If my DD does a club after school she doesn’t get out till 5:30. Delaying the day by a half hour she would not be out till almost 6PM. Leaves no time for swim team or other activities.

Are you seriously putting your ES child in multiple extracurriculars during weekdays?

Not the poster you're responding to but my own experience as a parent to 2 lower elementary aged kids - Soccer practice for our local rec league is 2x a week for 1-1.5 hrs (x2 kids with different schedules). My kids also do hebrew school which meets once during the week for 2.5 hours. Adding in something like swim lessons, dance, karate, baseball, gymnastics, piano etc would move us to 4 or 5 days a week of afterschool activities and all of those activities add extra days or hours in if you advance to higher levels.

My kids were the odd ones out in the fall because they only did 1 sport. At least in our area (west springfield/lake braddock area), it's incredibly common to have your child in multiple extracurriculars starting as early as kindergarten.

This sounds miserable, chaotic, and tiring. Your poor overscheduled kids.
DP

Spoken like a lower energy person. I was in a lot of activities as a kid and thrived. I always did very well in school (which was always prioritized) and had my college tuition paid for by a sport. I feel better when I am busy and moving a lot. Sitting around with a lot of unstructured time has always made me feel out of sorts. Everyone is free to do what works best for their kids. Just because you and yours don’t like it doesn’t mean others can’t.

I have two kids. One is like you and thrives on multiple activities. The other needs a lot of alone time. She's not moping, she is reading and doing other things on her own. She does have other activities--but no where near as many as her sibling.
Answer: know your kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the schedules should remain the same.

But, all this outrage from the ES parents is a little bizarre. Is it that they don't want to pay for before-care? I

Before care isn’t as widely available as after care, as after care often translates into other after school activities. For example, it’s easy to staff a martial arts afterschool program because they’ll blend into evening classes.

The waitlist for before care SACC at late start elementary schools is long and the demand is high. Many parents already hate the 9:20 start time. Pushing it to 9:50 is adding salt to the wound.

False. SACC waitlists are much longer for aftercare. Hardly anyone is using the morning precare year after year.

You're such an idiot. This may be true at your high SES lots of SAHMommies school, but at schools with normal families who have two working parents, the waitlist for before care can be a year long - meaning, kindergarteners rarely get in unless they have a sibling already in the school. This is the case at my school and several others that I'm aware of.

wow! You just showed your true colors! What in the world do you consider a ‘normal’ family? You are unhinged and repeatedly barking the same nonsense with each of your responses. The world and Fairfax don’t revolve around you. The county will make a decision based on the community at large and what is in the best interest of the collective whole of the children population. This is not about you picking your operational hours at your elementary school because that suits you and your early rising child. This is not about you saving or spending more money on pre-care or after-care. This is for the betterment of the Fairfax community at large. Your selfish motives are transparent by the way you keep replying again and again to this thread.

It's such a joke that you think everything working parents do is about childcare and money. Nope, sorry, this is about what is best for my child. Being in school from 9:50-4:45 is not best for my child. It might be great for me b/c I wouldn't need aftercare, but I don't care about what's best for me, I care about what's best for my child. Just like you.

This! What is best for ALL kids is school during reasonable hours. 8-4 range.

Speaking for ALL kids just makes you look foolish. The only kids you speak for are your own.

Different poster. The PP said school within 8-4. You think kids should go earlier or later than that? This whole thread is about appropriate start times. Before 8 is ridiculous. After 4 is also ridiculous. Those ate reasonable hours for all grade levels.

Again - this is your opinion. Other people disagree, as is their right. I personally prefer the later start times and getting out after 4 isn't a problem for our family. Please stop telling other people their opinions are ridiculous.

There are already a ton of elementary schools that get out after 4:00

Those elenentary schools will now get out between 4:30-4:45.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the schedules should remain the same.

But, all this outrage from the ES parents is a little bizarre. Is it that they don't want to pay for before-care? I

Before care isn’t as widely available as after care, as after care often translates into other after school activities. For example, it’s easy to staff a martial arts afterschool program because they’ll blend into evening classes.

The waitlist for before care SACC at late start elementary schools is long and the demand is high. Many parents already hate the 9:20 start time. Pushing it to 9:50 is adding salt to the wound.

False. SACC waitlists are much longer for aftercare. Hardly anyone is using the morning precare year after year.

You're such an idiot. This may be true at your high SES lots of SAHMommies school, but at schools with normal families who have two working parents, the waitlist for before care can be a year long - meaning, kindergarteners rarely get in unless they have a sibling already in the school. This is the case at my school and several others that I'm aware of.

wow! You just showed your true colors! What in the world do you consider a ‘normal’ family? You are unhinged and repeatedly barking the same nonsense with each of your responses. The world and Fairfax don’t revolve around you. The county will make a decision based on the community at large and what is in the best interest of the collective whole of the children population. This is not about you picking your operational hours at your elementary school because that suits you and your early rising child. This is not about you saving or spending more money on pre-care or after-care. This is for the betterment of the Fairfax community at large. Your selfish motives are transparent by the way you keep replying again and again to this thread.

It's such a joke that you think everything working parents do is about childcare and money. Nope, sorry, this is about what is best for my child. Being in school from 9:50-4:45 is not best for my child. It might be great for me b/c I wouldn't need aftercare, but I don't care about what's best for me, I care about what's best for my child. Just like you.

This! What is best for ALL kids is school during reasonable hours. 8-4 range.

Speaking for ALL kids just makes you look foolish. The only kids you speak for are your own.

Different poster. The PP said school within 8-4. You think kids should go earlier or later than that? This whole thread is about appropriate start times. Before 8 is ridiculous. After 4 is also ridiculous. Those ate reasonable hours for all grade levels.

Again - this is your opinion. Other people disagree, as is their right. I personally prefer the later start times and getting out after 4 isn't a problem for our family. Please stop telling other people their opinions are ridiculous.

There are already a ton of elementary schools that get out after 4:00

Those elenentary schools will now get out between 4:30-4:45.

What part of E do you not understand? The latest time any elementary school would get out is 4:35 pm. No school would go to 4:45 pm. JFC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the schedules should remain the same.

But, all this outrage from the ES parents is a little bizarre. Is it that they don't want to pay for before-care? I

Before care isn’t as widely available as after care, as after care often translates into other after school activities. For example, it’s easy to staff a martial arts afterschool program because they’ll blend into evening classes.

The waitlist for before care SACC at late start elementary schools is long and the demand is high. Many parents already hate the 9:20 start time. Pushing it to 9:50 is adding salt to the wound.

False. SACC waitlists are much longer for aftercare. Hardly anyone is using the morning precare year after year.

You're such an idiot. This may be true at your high SES lots of SAHMommies school, but at schools with normal families who have two working parents, the waitlist for before care can be a year long - meaning, kindergarteners rarely get in unless they have a sibling already in the school. This is the case at my school and several others that I'm aware of.

wow! You just showed your true colors! What in the world do you consider a ‘normal’ family? You are unhinged and repeatedly barking the same nonsense with each of your responses. The world and Fairfax don’t revolve around you. The county will make a decision based on the community at large and what is in the best interest of the collective whole of the children population. This is not about you picking your operational hours at your elementary school because that suits you and your early rising child. This is not about you saving or spending more money on pre-care or after-care. This is for the betterment of the Fairfax community at large. Your selfish motives are transparent by the way you keep replying again and again to this thread.

It's such a joke that you think everything working parents do is about childcare and money. Nope, sorry, this is about what is best for my child. Being in school from 9:50-4:45 is not best for my child. It might be great for me b/c I wouldn't need aftercare, but I don't care about what's best for me, I care about what's best for my child. Just like you.

This! What is best for ALL kids is school during reasonable hours. 8-4 range.

Speaking for ALL kids just makes you look foolish. The only kids you speak for are your own.

Different poster. The PP said school within 8-4. You think kids should go earlier or later than that? This whole thread is about appropriate start times. Before 8 is ridiculous. After 4 is also ridiculous. Those ate reasonable hours for all grade levels.

Again - this is your opinion. Other people disagree, as is their right. I personally prefer the later start times and getting out after 4 isn't a problem for our family. Please stop telling other people their opinions are ridiculous.

There are already a ton of elementary schools that get out after 4:00

Those elenentary schools will now get out between 4:30-4:45.

What part of E do you not understand? The latest time any elementary school would get out is 4:35 pm. No school would go to 4:45 pm. JFC.

I don't like my kids' 4:05 end time, I would like a 4:35 end time even less.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It is silly. For kids who need more sleep, parents need to be parents and have them go to bed. My HS kid has some activities that start at 3:30, and others that start at 7:30 and don't let out till 9:30 PM. A later start would be nice but a nightmare.

I read somewhere that they were kicking elementary to a really late start. What a nightmare for parents and kids.

Its actually welcomed in our neighborhood.

Same here! I find it really funny that some posters think they can speak for everyone. For us, later elementary time is great.

A 10:00am elementary school start is "welcomed" in your entire neighborhood? I don't believe that.

It doesn't really matter what you "believe." You're welcome to your opinion about start times and I am as well. As are my neighbors who, yes - love the idea of a later start. Sorry!

Do none of your neighbors have kids that play sports? My oldest is in 3rd grade and it's already been two years of kiss and ride pick ups everyday just to get to practice on time (currently a late run school ending at 4:05) anything later than that it would make it impossible.

You’re speaking from a privileged viewpoint. Lots of kids don’t do anything afterschool. Costs money to do sports; need to have a family member available to drive them to activities. If they do something it is to go to SACC and stay until 6PM. In these cases, getting out of school at 4:30 or 5 doesn’t have any impact on their life or their schedule.

A privileged viewpoint is actually that parents have the option to stay home with their children until a 10 AM school day.

There are services that offer childcare & transportation in the morning if you don’t get into SACC like the daycare vans or the karate vans. people hire babysitters or use a daycare that is on a bus route zoned for their school. There are options beside quitting your job to sit at home until 10 every day.

Likely written by a full time stay at home mom--or a "work from home mom" who takes advantage of her employer.

DP. The chip on your shoulder is absolutely enormous.

Step out of your bubble sometime, eh?

Right back at you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the schedules should remain the same.

But, all this outrage from the ES parents is a little bizarre. Is it that they don't want to pay for before-care? I

Before care isn’t as widely available as after care, as after care often translates into other after school activities. For example, it’s easy to staff a martial arts afterschool program because they’ll blend into evening classes.

The waitlist for before care SACC at late start elementary schools is long and the demand is high. Many parents already hate the 9:20 start time. Pushing it to 9:50 is adding salt to the wound.

False. SACC waitlists are much longer for aftercare. Hardly anyone is using the morning precare year after year.

You're such an idiot. This may be true at your high SES lots of SAHMommies school, but at schools with normal families who have two working parents, the waitlist for before care can be a year long - meaning, kindergarteners rarely get in unless they have a sibling already in the school. This is the case at my school and several others that I'm aware of.

wow! You just showed your true colors! What in the world do you consider a ‘normal’ family? You are unhinged and repeatedly barking the same nonsense with each of your responses. The world and Fairfax don’t revolve around you. The county will make a decision based on the community at large and what is in the best interest of the collective whole of the children population. This is not about you picking your operational hours at your elementary school because that suits you and your early rising child. This is not about you saving or spending more money on pre-care or after-care. This is for the betterment of the Fairfax community at large. Your selfish motives are transparent by the way you keep replying again and again to this thread.

It's such a joke that you think everything working parents do is about childcare and money. Nope, sorry, this is about what is best for my child. Being in school from 9:50-4:45 is not best for my child. It might be great for me b/c I wouldn't need aftercare, but I don't care about what's best for me, I care about what's best for my child. Just like you.

This! What is best for ALL kids is school during reasonable hours. 8-4 range.

Speaking for ALL kids just makes you look foolish. The only kids you speak for are your own.

Different poster. The PP said school within 8-4. You think kids should go earlier or later than that? This whole thread is about appropriate start times. Before 8 is ridiculous. After 4 is also ridiculous. Those ate reasonable hours for all grade levels.

Again - this is your opinion. Other people disagree, as is their right. I personally prefer the later start times and getting out after 4 isn't a problem for our family. Please stop telling other people their opinions are ridiculous.

There are already a ton of elementary schools that get out after 4:00

Those elenentary schools will now get out between 4:30-4:45.

What part of E do you not understand? The latest time any elementary school would get out is 4:35 pm. No school would go to 4:45 pm. JFC.

I don't like my kids' 4:05 end time, I would like a 4:35 end time even less.

DP. I love my kid's current 4:05 end time and would like a 4:35 end time even more if it meant school was also starting later. Isn't it great we all get an opinion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the schedules should remain the same.

But, all this outrage from the ES parents is a little bizarre. Is it that they don't want to pay for before-care? I

Before care isn’t as widely available as after care, as after care often translates into other after school activities. For example, it’s easy to staff a martial arts afterschool program because they’ll blend into evening classes.

The waitlist for before care SACC at late start elementary schools is long and the demand is high. Many parents already hate the 9:20 start time. Pushing it to 9:50 is adding salt to the wound.

False. SACC waitlists are much longer for aftercare. Hardly anyone is using the morning precare year after year.

You're such an idiot. This may be true at your high SES lots of SAHMommies school, but at schools with normal families who have two working parents, the waitlist for before care can be a year long - meaning, kindergarteners rarely get in unless they have a sibling already in the school. This is the case at my school and several others that I'm aware of.

wow! You just showed your true colors! What in the world do you consider a ‘normal’ family? You are unhinged and repeatedly barking the same nonsense with each of your responses. The world and Fairfax don’t revolve around you. The county will make a decision based on the community at large and what is in the best interest of the collective whole of the children population. This is not about you picking your operational hours at your elementary school because that suits you and your early rising child. This is not about you saving or spending more money on pre-care or after-care. This is for the betterment of the Fairfax community at large. Your selfish motives are transparent by the way you keep replying again and again to this thread.

It's such a joke that you think everything working parents do is about childcare and money. Nope, sorry, this is about what is best for my child. Being in school from 9:50-4:45 is not best for my child. It might be great for me b/c I wouldn't need aftercare, but I don't care about what's best for me, I care about what's best for my child. Just like you.

This! What is best for ALL kids is school during reasonable hours. 8-4 range.

Speaking for ALL kids just makes you look foolish. The only kids you speak for are your own.

Different poster. The PP said school within 8-4. You think kids should go earlier or later than that? This whole thread is about appropriate start times. Before 8 is ridiculous. After 4 is also ridiculous. Those ate reasonable hours for all grade levels.

Again - this is your opinion. Other people disagree, as is their right. I personally prefer the later start times and getting out after 4 isn't a problem for our family. Please stop telling other people their opinions are ridiculous.

There are already a ton of elementary schools that get out after 4:00

Those elenentary schools will now get out between 4:30-4:45.

What part of E do you not understand? The latest time any elementary school would get out is 4:35 pm. No school would go to 4:45 pm. JFC.

I don't like my kids' 4:05 end time, I would like a 4:35 end time even less.

DP. I love my kid's current 4:05 end time and would like a 4:35 end time even more if it meant school was also starting later. Isn't it great we all get an opinion?

DP, I think they're planning on re-surveying to this time include ES and HS families as well, since most of the options affect one or more of these levels significantly, not just MS. I suspect such a survey will find you are in the significant minority in your view of a 4:35p ES end time.

Sadly, such an effort is basically a waste of time, because it's just delaying them making a decision and in the meantime MS kids continue to (with exceptions) suffer for it. The outcome of a re-survey will be to discover, shockingly, that there is no consensus amongst parents. They should just settle on a plan that aligns with AAP recommendation to start MS/HS at 830a or later and beyond that pick the one they think is logistically the most feasible/desirable for the majority of families... no super early start times, no super late start times. Option B seems the best candidate in this regard.

But instead they'll just keep spinning without making a decision. There's no new information they're going to receive that's going to better inform this decision, but sadly inaction on big/hard choices generally seems to be the theme (we'll see if they stick to their temporarily found courage on boundary adjustments).