I have come to be OK with the early start for MS. My middles get themselves out the door (the rest of us are still asleep including early riser third grader). Love the extensive after school program. It would probably need to be abbreviated and given the choice I think the kids would prefer more after school vs a later start. But it would be better if they got more sleep!

My 9th grader is very happy to be done with the early start! Does after school activities until 5 and then comes home.

DC11 wakes up at 7:20am now and will have to wake up at 5am next year because MS is not nearby like ES. Hope they can adjust MS starting time later than 8am.

Anonymous wrote:But what would this mean for elementary? My kids go to a late start elementary and it is really perfect for us. They need a lot of sleep, they naturally wake up at 8am and they have plenty of time to get ready for a bus that comes at 9:00. They get home at 4:30 which means one parent can sign off work and be present for them. If the schedule shifts an hour earlier, it messes up everything for us.

Well then, if it messes things for your family then they shouldn't change it. Some people....
Late start elementaries are terrible. Kids that age are typically awake early and ready to be done early. Plus it often requires before and after care for families.

Anonymous wrote:Longfellow MS is 7:30-2:15. It seems too early but thankfully it’s only 2 years. I would rather have that time slot for middle school than HS or elementary.

This. It sucks but if anyone has to do it let it be the ones that do it the fewest # of years. I feel for working ES parents if it means that gets changed. It lasts the longest and those ages need aftercare the most if the day finishes even earlier.

Anonymous wrote:But what would this mean for elementary? My kids go to a late start elementary and it is really perfect for us. They need a lot of sleep, they naturally wake up at 8am and they have plenty of time to get ready for a bus that comes at 9:00. They get home at 4:30 which means one parent can sign off work and be present for them. If the schedule shifts an hour earlier, it messes up everything for us.

I teach at a late ES and I can tell you most kids are not learning much after 3:00 because the kids are done. It is the hardest hour of the day. Due to late buses we have kids getting home close to 5:00. This late schedule is awful.

I work in a middle school and can see it both ways. I personally like the early start time because I am a morning person and I work best from 7am until about noon then I need a break but I know the day is also almost over. However, the amount of kids who come in after the bell rings at 7:30am is crazy -- they just can't get up and their parents aren't around to make them.
Also, I think the early release (2:20pm) could be hard on middle school kids who go home to an empty house. It's an opportunity to get into trouble, IMO. Our school has a robust after school program but not a lot of kids take advantage. I tell my child it's only for two years, they can muscle through. I guess we'll see. As with all things FCPS, it will take time to study and possibly implement.

My youngest is in 8th so this won’t impact our family. But these middle school times are ridiculous. So I hope they figure this out.

More money tossed to consultants…

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes it would start next year if approved. I can’t believe they are studying this again after all the work to change the times.

In the FCPS article linked above (https://www.fcps.edu/node/49204?utm_campaign+=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery) it says, "In October 2014, the board voted to delay high school start times to 8 a.m. or after, beginning in the 2015-16 school year. As a result, middle school start times moved up to 7:30 a.m. FCPS’ superintendent in 2015 stated that she would consider pushing back middle school start times at a later date." So Garza kicked the can down the road on middle school times... it's only taken then 8 years to get back to it.

Incompetence.

The fpcs link above describes surveys and contracts for studies dating back to 2011 that have already shown that it would be better to delay start times and let kids get more sleep.

Now yet another consultant is to be hired to help with decisions on the same overdue and well studied change.

+1000

I read it as they know they should do it and consultants are going to show them how b/c have to not change HS times

+1. This study was about how to do it not whether it should be done. I am also skeptical that there is a way given the driver shortage and the staggered use of buses (are we suddenly getting a bunch of new buses and drivers - doubtful). But maybe the magic consultants have figured it out.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How would this possibly be done in a cost-neutral way and without affecting HS start times? I’ll be shocked if they can do this (happy for my youngest, but shocked). My HSer’s bus route was just dissolved due to a driver shortage. No way they have enough drivers to have overlapping HS and MS runs.

It actually could help in some cases for costs where middle schools are next to high schools so could do one bus in morning for Hs and Ms

You would still need more buses because currently the same buses do a MS run and a HS run and the buses are full.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How would this possibly be done in a cost-neutral way and without affecting HS start times? I’ll be shocked if they can do this (happy for my youngest, but shocked). My HSer’s bus route was just dissolved due to a driver shortage. No way they have enough drivers to have overlapping HS and MS runs.

It actually could help in some cases for costs where middle schools are next to high schools so could do one bus in morning for Hs and Ms

You think all the kids could fit on one bust? Lol.

Anonymous wrote:But what would this mean for elementary? My kids go to a late start elementary and it is really perfect for us. They need a lot of sleep, they naturally wake up at 8am and they have plenty of time to get ready for a bus that comes at 9:00. They get home at 4:30 which means one parent can sign off work and be present for them. If the schedule shifts an hour earlier, it messes up everything for us.

ES not part of study. Just the MS

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes it would start next year if approved. I can’t believe they are studying this again after all the work to change the times.

In the FCPS article linked above (https://www.fcps.edu/node/49204?utm_campaign+=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery) it says, "In October 2014, the board voted to delay high school start times to 8 a.m. or after, beginning in the 2015-16 school year. As a result, middle school start times moved up to 7:30 a.m. FCPS’ superintendent in 2015 stated that she would consider pushing back middle school start times at a later date." So Garza kicked the can down the road on middle school times... it's only taken then 8 years to get back to it.

Incompetence.

The fpcs link above describes surveys and contracts for studies dating back to 2011 that have already shown that it would be better to delay start times and let kids get more sleep.

Now yet another consultant is to be hired to help with decisions on the same overdue and well studied change.

+1000

I read it as they know they should do it and consultants are going to show them how b/c have to not change HS times

Anonymous wrote:How would this possibly be done in a cost-neutral way and without affecting HS start times? I’ll be shocked if they can do this (happy for my youngest, but shocked). My HSer’s bus route was just dissolved due to a driver shortage. No way they have enough drivers to have overlapping HS and MS runs.

It actually could help in some cases for costs where middle schools are next to high schools so could do one bus in morning for Hs and Ms

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes it would start next year if approved. I can’t believe they are studying this again after all the work to change the times.

In the FCPS article linked above (https://www.fcps.edu/node/49204?utm_campaign+=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery) it says, "In October 2014, the board voted to delay high school start times to 8 a.m. or after, beginning in the 2015-16 school year. As a result, middle school start times moved up to 7:30 a.m. FCPS’ superintendent in 2015 stated that she would consider pushing back middle school start times at a later date." So Garza kicked the can down the road on middle school times... it's only taken then 8 years to get back to it.

Incompetence.

The fpcs link above describes surveys and contracts for studies dating back to 2011 that have already shown that it would be better to delay start times and let kids get more sleep.

Now yet another consultant is to be hired to help with decisions on the same overdue and well studied change.

+1000