FCPS Elementary Hours
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Anonymous
If some kids need to start school at 7, better the MS kids than the HS kids. Garza isn't responsible for the size of the school district or the bus fleet. |
Anonymous
| Our elementary school is FCPS is 8:40 to 3:30 pm. We only do after school SACC. However, there's been numerous times where before school SACC would have been helpful. For example, if you are signed up for before school SACC, you can use it for days when FCPS has 2-hour delayed opening for weather. This year, we didn't need that but last year there were several 2-hour delayed openings. DH has been traveling this year and he usually put the children on the bus in the morning so I've had to put them on the bus at 8:20 which doesn't get me into work until almost 10 am. If we had morning SACC, I could have dropped them off at 7:50/8 am. We only need morning SACC about 2 days/week on average so I don't want to pay for before school SACC for two children for only using it 2 days/week especially knowing that we would be taking up 2 slots for people who need that option on a daily basis. |
Anonymous
MS kids actually need more sleep than HS kids, but our bell times don't reflect that. As for Garza not being responsible for the size of the bus fleet, then who was? The tooth fairy? |
Anonymous
Both HS and MS kids need sleep. But part of the point of later HS start times and more rest for HS students is that the stakes are much higher in HS. HS grades are the grades that will affect college admissions or other after-HS education. Middle school is two years; HS is four. It's not a perfect solution that MS kids have the earlier hours -- sure, ideally, kids would all get later start times, but that is not the reality of bus schedules in a vast system the size of FCPS. So what we have is the imperfect but workable solution of earlier MS hours for just two years, and later ones for the four, more crucial, years of HS. Those posting earlier that elementary kids would have a tough time adjusting to MS start times: Yes, they might. And they'll deal with it--for just two years. My kid is in HS and went from a 9:15 start in elementary to a 7:50 start in MS to an 8:10 start in HS. So did all DC's peers. They've all survived. This wasn't done in the dark. FCPS had public forums any parent could attend, and many parents did just that. The schedule change took years of discussion and options (which were available online for all to see, even if they couldn't get to the public forums). It's time to just live with it instead of raising these "I hate the late ES schedule and early MS schedule" threads over and over and over. |
Anonymous
Good question. We moved here from another state where school start at 7:15. I was shocked at how late FCPS ones start. |
Anonymous
| Wait until MS. DD is busing to an AAP Center for MS, so the route is longer and she is one of the first stops. So, her bus comes at 6:28 for a 7:20 start. Since the school is only 1.5 miles away, I have given up and just drive her in the mornings. We can leave around 7 and get there in plenty of time. Plus it gives her an extra 1/2 hour to sleep in. But the shift from a 9:10 start time in ES to a 7:20 start time in MS was still brutal. Fortunately, she is one of the first stops in the afternoon, so she gets home about 15 minutes after she is realeased. Also fortunately, we have one parent teleworking every day, so there is an adult in the house. |
Anonymous
Mom of a sophomore here: MS kids go to bed earlier than high school kids. There was a noticeable shift from 8th to 9th grade. My son started staying up later and needing more sleep. Later high school start time is great. |