Advertisement

Most Pinellas high schools could start at 7:20 a.m. this August

 
Kashif Haynes boards his bus at 5 a.m. for a 45-mile journey that will take him to Tarpon Springs High, where is he a freshman. Experts on teen health call red-eye pickups like this "unconscionable." [SCOTT KEELER | Times]
Kashif Haynes boards his bus at 5 a.m. for a 45-mile journey that will take him to Tarpon Springs High, where is he a freshman. Experts on teen health call red-eye pickups like this "unconscionable." [SCOTT KEELER | Times]
Published March 19, 2018|Updated March 19, 2018

The Pinellas County school district said it could only give school staff and students anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes more in the morning this August.

According to a document posted on the Pinellas County School Board's Tuesday workshop agenda, it's looking more like the former of those times.

The district is proposing that most high schools start at 7:20 a.m with most middle and elementary schools starting 10 minutes later at 8:45 a.m. and 9:40 a.m, respectively.

Four high schools would miss out on the change. Lakewood, Gibbs, Dixie Hollins and Boca Ciega high schools are slated to remain at the 7:05 a.m. start, however they could dismiss at 1:50 p.m. rather than the current 2:05 p.m. time.

The Times has reached out to Clint Herbic, the associate superintendent charged with looking at start times and bus times, for comment.

Parents led the crusade for a later high school bell time after Hillsborough swapped high school and elementary school times to get high school students to start their day at 8:30 a.m., the recommended time for adolescents according to experts. More than 6,200 have signed an online petition advocating for a later start.

District officials say busing logistics get in the way of making that a reality. Pinellas is the most densely populated county in Florida, and between traffic woes and long routes that criss-cross the county to get 7,500 students to school choice programs, they say it's difficult to get about 30,000 students to school on-time with bell adjustments.

School Board members will discuss the start times at the Tuesday workshop. The change is expected to go before the board for a vote at a board meeting April 10.