New School Times Next Year; North Escambia Schools Changing Too?

April 11, 2009

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The Escambia County School District is considering changing school start and dismissal times again this year, and once again some North Escambia schools will follow a schedule different than the rest of the county.

At the elementary level, Bratt and Molino Park will begin the school day at 7:45 and dismiss at 2:00.

At the middle school level, Ernest Ward will begin the school day at 9:05 and dismiss at 3:45. The earliest students can be dropped off at school will be 8:55. This represents a start and dismissal time 35 minutes later than the current year.

At the high school level, Northview High School will begin at 8:45 and dismiss at 3:20, a big change from this year’s 7:40 start and 2:45 dismissal.

North Escambia school times are different because of the long transport distances in the rural area and a two-tier system where middle and high school students will ride the bus together.

The North Escambia elementary schools will be following the same 7:45 a.m. to 2:00 schedule as the rest of the county’s elementary schools.

Middle Schools in the rest of Escambia County will have a 9:20 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. day, a change from their current 9:30 to 4:30 day.

Other high schools in Escambia County will be is session from 8:30 to 3:05, instead of this year’s 8:30 to 3:35 day.

The school times were changed this year, most drastically outside of North Escambia, to save money. By taking over two dozen buses off the road, the school district saved an estimated $1.2 million this year.

The new start and dismissal times recommended by a task force must now be approved by the school board before becoming final.

Comments

12 Responses to “New School Times Next Year; North Escambia Schools Changing Too?”

  1. INSTIGATOR on May 9th, 2009 7:40 am

    THEY ARE THINKING THAT THE KIDS CAN DO THEIR HOMEWORK ON THE BUS THE 25 MINUTES IT IS WAITING FOR THE OTHER KIDS TO BE LET OUT OF SCHOOL.THEY ARE ALSO TRYING TO PAY THE DRIVERS LESS SINCE THEY WILL HAVE LESS TRIPS TO DRIVE. THE BUSSES WILL BE TURNED OFF TO SAVE ON GAS AND THESE KIDS WILL BE NOT ALLOWED TO OPEN WINDOWS THEY WILL ACT UP. THERE WILL BE MORE FIGHTS ON THE BUSSES.LET THE SCHOOL BOARD COME UP HERE FOR THE FIRST MONTH AND RIDE THE BUSSES OR BETTER YET LET THEM DRIVE THE BUSSES AND SEE HOW THIS WORKS OUT. THEY STILL WILL NOT PICK MY CHILD UP IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE. THEY WANT HER TO GO 1/2 MILE EAST OR WEST TO WAIT FOR THE BUS SHE IS AT ERNEST WARD BUT THE NORTHVIEW BUS STOPPED IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE TO PICK UP MY HIGH SCHOOLER. BUT THE BUS WILL DROP HER OFF IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE IN THE AFTERNOON.

  2. Carver on April 13th, 2009 7:41 pm

    Or they could close your schools like they did carver. Then you would have more to gripe about ! “Dang we’ve got to get up earlier and get bussed to Ransom and Tate, darn it” !

  3. Donnie Macks on April 13th, 2009 12:31 pm

    I remember getting up at 6 oclock to catch the bus at 7 oclock int hthe morning. that was a good time for us. they should go back to that time when we wrer in school. we had all the time in the world to get home and get our homework done and still had time ti go outside and play before it got dark.

  4. Century Girl on April 12th, 2009 11:15 pm

    Elem children should go in later, let high school kids go in early…get thru and maybe they could have some time to get a part-time job!
    And as someone already said, what about parents’ work schedule..of course the school board has not had a history of considering that like when they came up with fall break etc a few years back..oh well, maybe the parents need to call all the school board members and Malcolm when they are having to wake up their babies so early. Another ridiculous Esc cty school board idea!

  5. me on April 12th, 2009 5:14 pm

    nicole you said it…Why is it such a problem now?…You are right, it has worked for years.

  6. a.nicole on April 12th, 2009 4:01 pm

    My question is … what happens when mom and dad work, and they keep changing the time up. As far as I know jobs are not to keen on people changing their schedules every time you turn around, just to accommodate bus and school schedules. This year alone, the schedule changed twice! Maybe the board needs to start considering the backlash of some of their decisions and decide from that what should and should not be done. Mom’s and dad’s can not afford to risk their jobs because of chaos in scheduling! I agree that 4:00 is entirely to late to be in school (for any age!) I don’t understand how a schedule that worked for years all of a sudden is so costly?!? I just don’t get the logic of these people???

  7. mom of 2 on April 12th, 2009 12:28 pm

    I agree that elementary kids should NOT have to be the ones getting up @5am in order to catch the bus BEFORE 6 am .I have a child in Bratt and also one in Ernest Ward. My oldest complains now that theres not enough time to do homework because of not getting home untill 4 or 4:30. So why should they be the ones to have to go longer? Elementary kids do not need as much time for what little bit of homework they have.Common sense tells u that if you are going to shut down other schools to ’save’ money shouldn’t some of that money be used to transport these kids to and from school to hold down some possible overcrowding or flaring tempers from tired ,hot ,restless kids.? Not to mention cranky bus drivers from all these changes.

  8. Driver on April 12th, 2009 8:43 am

    If they had to drive the bus they would know in my oppinion should not mix middle and high school I also agree our little one should not have to go so early they should be going in later. The elementary students in century that our now going to have to go to Bratt and molino will have a much longer ride. I dont think I want to be the one with a bus full of middle and high school kids headed to century with no air cond. .

  9. ................... on April 11th, 2009 11:50 pm

    i like that

  10. bama! on April 11th, 2009 11:11 pm

    why cant they just leave crap alone? jeez. they have already messed up our times enough. and now they wanna make us get out even later! most kids dont get home till 4 or later! its ridiculous. and then northview will have to wait for ernest ward for 25 minutes what are we supposed to do? we cant have ipods we dont have an air conditioned bus. they just need to leave it alone. and i agree why are we going to make the elementary kids get up sooo early. and instead of bratt and northview riding together northview and ernest ward will. i really hope they deny this nonsence.

  11. Chief Fan on April 11th, 2009 10:44 pm

    I think they have it backwards, elementary needs to start later because those kids need more sleep and harder to get up at 5:45 to catch bus at 6:15 to ride almost an hour on bus.

  12. BLONDIEEE on April 11th, 2009 11:17 am

    OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    THAT IS SO TARDED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under Education, Features