March 29, 2024
Annapolis, US 40 F

Schools to hold community forums to discuss school start/dismissal times

aacpsSuperintendent George Arlotto today announced that Anne Arundel County Public Schools will hold four community forums to provide information and solicit feedback regarding a proposal to shift school start and dismissal times – pending full funding and broad community support – beginning in the 2017-2018 school year.

All forums are open to the public, but will be held in locations to make them more convenient to those in all areas of the county as indicated below. Forums will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on the following dates:

  • Wednesday, January 27, at Broadneck High School (Annapolis, Broadneck, and Severna Park clusters)
  • Tuesday, February 2, at North County High School (Chesapeake, North County, and Northeast clusters)
  • Thursday, February 4, at South River High School (Arundel, South River and Southern clusters)
  • Monday, February 8, at Old Mill High School (Glen Burnie, Meade, and Old Mill clusters)

Spanish interpreters will be available at the January 27 forum at Broadneck High School.

In his Fiscal Year 2017 budget recommendation to the Board of Education, Dr. Arlotto included $8.1 million to fund the shift beginning in August 2017. The funding would be combined with the $602,000 allocated by the County Council this year to enact a plan that would see high schools start at 8:30 a.m., middle schools begin no earlier than 9:30 a.m., and elementary schools open between 7:50 and 9:15 a.m. No school would dismiss later than 4:15 p.m.

The forums are not public hearings. Those attending will be able to hear a presentation of the thought process behind the development of the plan and gain a better understanding of how the plan will work if funded and implemented. There will also be an opportunity to exchange ideas in small-group discussions.

Shifting school hours in August 2017 provides time for funding to be in place to allow the necessary additional buses to be acquired by contractors and additional drivers and aides to be trained. In his budget address to the Board, Dr. Arlotto emphasized that the funding to shift school hours must be in place before any changes would occur and urged the County Executive and County Council not to take it from other areas of the Board’s budget.

“If we as a county are truly serious about moving forward as a school system and about adjusting school hours, we must commit to providing the funding to do so and not do it at the expense of our people or our programs,” Dr. Arlotto said.

Details of Dr. Arlotto’s proposal regarding start and dismissal times, a complete list of tentatively proposed school hours for 2017-2018, and a section for public comment can be found here.

Source: AACPS

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