Pickens BOE discusses start and dismissal times

Pickens BOE discussed start and dismissal times but made no solid proposals as they learned there are no easy answers when it comes to the school schedules was the message during a recent called meeting.

No action was taken by the board and no comments from the public were allowed. Each option has positive and negative aspects.

Option 1: Leave the schedule as is. Middle and high school currently starts at 7:35 and ends at 2:10.

Option 2: Eliminate double bus routes.

“We’d love to do this, but we are short 10 drivers,” said Tony Young, assistant superintendent. “We’re facing some retirements, so next year, it could be 12-14 drivers.”

Option 3: Starting elementary school at 7:35, end at 2:10 and the middle and high school would start at 8:20 and dismiss at 3:10.

“This puts the issues on the other hand since we’re just flipping the times,” said Young.

The down side with the current elementary schedule is parents dropping their children off at 7 a.m. For those in aftercare, it’s a long day. Also, some middle and high school coaches work at the elementary school and have to leave at 2:10 to coach. This means paraprofessionals handle the last hour of their classes.

Buses pick up at 5:30 in the morning

However, because buses have to run two routes, flipping the schedule means some elementary school students, as young as five-years-old may have to get on the bus at 5:30 in the morning. Right now, middle and high school students are being picked up at 5:30 in the morning.

One board member said she didn’t like the idea of any student, regardless of age or grade, being picked up at 5:30 a.m.

“I don’t like getting picked up at that time and they don’t either,” she said.

The other downside is recess and instructional time would have to be cut. Anywhere from five to 15 minutes.

“There are no easy answers,” said Young. “Ideally, if we had the 10 bus drivers, the schools could start anytime they wanted.”

He said efforts to hire new drivers have been futile.

When asked if the board could take questions and comments from the audience, Tucker Greene, the Chairman of the Board, said they could from the attending principals, but the meeting wasn’t “the time or the place” to hear from the public on the matter.

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For Pickens County Board of Education, click here.