Keep the Cabarrus County Elementary School Hours 8:15-3:00

In 2008, Cabarrus County Schools recommended and passed a three-tier bus system. According to this system, which was proposed to save millions of dollars, high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools all have different school hours. High schools have since been operating from 7:15-2:15, middle schools from 9:00-4:00, and all but four of the elementary schools from 8:15-3:00. (Four elementary schools are already currently on the 7:15-2:15 schedule.) Despite the research presented by teachers of various levels, which shows that older children are not successful that early in the morning or that late in the afternoon, this system was voted upon and approved while the advocates for these children were still in discussion to present their points. Since then, there have been several complaints and concerns raised to the County Office, all of which have fallen on deaf ears.

It has come to the attention of the parents and teachers in this county that it has been proposed that all elementary schools in the county be switched to the 7:15-2:15 time slot, effective for the 2012-2013 school year. This change means that students as young as five years old, will be waiting at bus stops as early as 5:45 in the morning, in the dark, alone. This also means that the same students will be getting off of a bus as early as 2:30 in the afternoon, to empty homes as most parents are still at work.

The solution provided by the County Office is enrollment in the Kids Plus program, at a weekly charge to parents, thereby requiring parents of elementary school students in a public school system to pay for their child’s education. More importantly, parents who cannot afford to pay for this service, will be forced to decide whether the child can stay home alone until the parent can return from work, posing a severe safety risk to the children involved.
In addition to the effects this has on elementary students and parents. Middle schools are going to continue at the 9:00-4:00 time slot.

Research has proven time and again that these students cannot properly function in a learning environment this late in the afternoon. High schools will also keep the 7:15-2:15 time slot, despite the research that proves they cannot properly function in a learning environment that early in the morning. It is also important to note that this movement will change the three-tier bus system back into two-tiers; thereby undoing the “million dollar” savings it supposedly brought the county in the beginning. There will now be a two-hour, unnecessary gap between the start times of all elementary and high schools and the start times of the middle schools.

In addition, middle school students and high school students are at an age where it is acceptable and not nearly as dangerous for them to stay home alone until parents return from work or to wait alone at a bus stop in the dark, early hours of the morning.