Marty Gordon
NRVsports@mainstreetnewspapers.com
Middle school students in Montgomery County could be facing a major change in start times in the near future under a proposal presented this week to the school board.
The change would create longer days as students would have to start school earlier each day.
Thus, the change would affect bus schedules and cause some transportation issues.
Administration presented two options: 1) Start time of 7:42 a.m., meaning first bus pickup time would be 6:20/6:30 a.m.; 2) Start time of 7:49 a.m. with first pickup time being 6:30/6:45 a.m.
At issue is the amount of time, or in middle school’s case the lack of time, for instruction. In most cases, according to administrators, class instruction is only averaging 40 minutes of a class per the seven-period day.
Interim Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Amanda Weidner said the changes would give teachers more time to teach.
“It will allow us to use existing time more effectively and reduce student downtime in the morning,” she said.
She also pointed out the current morning time of Intervention and Enrichment (IE) takes up 20-30 minutes every morning. Under the proposals, the IE time would be shortened or even eliminated.
“Both proposals maximize existing time to better serve the student,” Weidner said.
The plans would add 48-69 hours a year in instruction time.
Staff showed that in a survey of middle school teachers, 41 percent said longer class periods would improve integration of intervention/enrichment. Another 24% said longer periods “likely would” improve integration.
A recent sustainability report showed that it is the middle school level at which Montgomery County lags behind. The report showed the county’s middle schools did not reach the state Department of Education’s “distinguished” ranking for academic achievement. Two of the schools were listed as being targeted for intervention in order to address “deficiencies in academic performance of students with disabilities.”
Currently, other school systems like Pulaski County start their middle school time at 7:30 a.m. and finish by 2:55 p.m. Meanwhile Roanoke County, who is considering changes presently of their own plan, currently starts at 8:20 a.m. and finishes at 3:25 p.m.
But the proposed new Montgomery County starts would also force students who ride buses to be outside much earlier at the bus stop.
Board members Jamie Bond and Dana Partin had reservations.
“This would affect a lot of families in the morning, trying to get their kids ready for school,” Bond said.
Partin was also concerned about students standing outside, waiting for the bus at 6:20 a.m. in the morning.
School board’s Penny Franklin agreed starting school earlier is not a good idea.
No decision was made on the matter as the board would like to continue the discussion.
The school board also made several adjustments to its weapons’ policy. Under MCPS Policy 7-3.2: Students shall possess, handle, transport or use any weapons or firearm. Any weapon possessed in violation of the policy will be confiscated and may be forfeited to the Commonwealth.
The change puts into writing the expulsion time of a minimum of 365 days and adds the definition of a knife against the policy to be a blade of more than three inches and any firearm bullets or live ammunitions.
Administrators believe the changes will strength the school policy against weapons.
During their regularly scheduled meeting, the board also approved supplement funding requests of $495,000. The following would be covered: $90,000 for a ceiling renovation at Margaret Beeks Elementary School where ceiling tiles are falling; $6,000 for gym lighting upgrades at Auburn High School and Shawsville Middle School; Approximately $9,000 to repair a sinkhole near student parking lot at Blacksburg High School; and snowguard installation at the school system’s operations center and Kipps Elementary School in the amount of $33,500.
