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Time start talk brings out big AC crowd |
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Written by Reporter1
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Friday, 21 November 2008 |
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Page 2 of 2
AC at 8:30 a.m. instead of 8 a.m. No decisions were reached by the board.
(The soccer discussion will be published in another edition in the Daily Democrat.)
Opening the start-time segment of the meeting, Superintendent Mike Pettibone said schools in Indiana begin class days an hour earlier because of the statewide time change.
There are four reasons why a later start time is being discussed:
• Improved safety, since, for much of the school year, students who ride buses and those who drive to school would be in lighter conditions instead of in darkness. However, an AC bus driver said she has been told that most traffic accidents occur in sunshine, perhaps because drivers are not as wary as they are in bad weather.
John Carroll, an AC graduate who is now a local insurance agent, said national studies have shown that 40 percent of teenage deaths in the U.S. happen in traffic wrecks.
AC Transportation Director Dan Weber said studies have shown that riding a school bus is 10 to 13 times safer than driving a car or a truck to school.
• Educational studies have shown that young people learn better later in the day, which led AC Athletic Director Rick Minnich to ask that a study be done to see how well students learn in afternoons as opposed to mornings.
On the other hand, it was reported that the Northern Wells school district starts its classes at 7:30 a.m.
• Weber said there were two days during the 2007-08 year when a 30-minute later start would have allowed school to be held at AC because fog lifted shortly after the cancellations were announced.
• Pettibone said having a later start to the day means classes would end later, so there would be less unsupervised time for students after school, now the 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. period.
Other considerations are the jobs that some students have after school and the fact that a number of bus drivers also have jobs, so changing bus time schedules would have impacts there as well.
Speaking of safety, Charlie Bowers, the assistant transportation director and a bus driver, issued several tips about how students who ride buses should keep themselves safe and said, "We're all trying to keep people safe."
Pettibone said there are child care issues, too, since some children are now being dropped off at school at 6:30 or 7 a.m.
One man noted that some parents send their children to school on a bus, then leave home for work, so having a 30-minute later schedule could be disruptive. He added that parents trying to get to work on time should not leave children at home to get on the bus by themselves.
The superintendent said two surveys AC officials conducted this year showed 54 percent of those who responded leaned toward starting school at 8:30 a.m. and 46 percent leaned against that. Parents of elementary students were more in favor of 8:30 than were parents of middle school and high school students.
Another woman said starting the school day later means that students will be going home later, when the local "rush hour" is under way.
Weber pointed out that because of inter-related vocational education and special education schedules and transports involving the three school districts in Adams County, it would be best for all three to have the same policy.
The South Adams school board made an informal decision last week to oppose an 8:30 a.m. start, which caused AC board member John Sipe to say he was "disappointed." Sipe favors beginning classes at 8:30, said an 8:30 start is "what's best for students," and said people ought to "challenge North Adams and South Adams to think the same way."
AC board president Brian Tonner said the SA board's viewpoint complicates the AC situation because of the intertwined nature of the local school systems in regard to certain student transports.
Pettibone said the North Adams school board is "still listening" to both sides of the matter.
In regard to weather conditions, Pettibone said that, when bad weather threatens, school officials are driving on local roads by 5 or 5:30 a.m. so a decision can be made as soon as practicable about a possible delay or calling off all classes.
In addition, the three school districts talk to each other and involve the county highway department. The superintendent remarked that, in such situations, "We always err on the side of caution."
Board member Barry Ehinger agreed there is a safety benefit to starting classes at 8:30 a.m.
When a board member asked for the crowd of 70 or more to express its views by holding up hands, only some 10 people did so, split about 50/50.
When someone asked how AC's teachers feel about the issue, Pettibone replied that they are divided.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 24 November 2008 )
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