Web Site Raises Concerns About Proposed Changes in North Hills School Hours

A Web site has surfaced asking critical questions about North Hills Superintendent Dr. Patrick J. Mannarino's proposal to alter the start and dismissal times of all the schools in the district in order to reduce the district's transportation costs.

School

Current Start

Current Dismissal

Proposed Start

Proposed Dismissal

Sr. High (grades 9-12)

7:40 a.m.

2:45 p.m.

7:20 a.m.

2 p.m.

Jr. High (grades 7-8)

7:40 a.m.

2:45 p.m.

7:50 a.m.

2:50 p.m.

Highcliff/West View Elementary

9 a.m.

3:30 p.m.

8:30 a.m.

3:00 p.m.

Ross/McIntyre Elementary

9 a.m.

3:30 p.m.

9:15 a.m.

3:45 p.m.

The site NHchanges.wordpress.com cites the advantages to the plan, but also points out what it considers several "cons":

• Means an earlier start time for High School students which, as studies have shown, negatively impacts performance.
• See Univ. of Minnesota Study HERE
• See Amer. School Health Assoc. HERE
• Shortens Middle/High School passing times (times between periods) from 5 minutes to 4 minutes.
• Ross and McIntyre Elementary would end at 3:45 p.m. meaning with bussing time, students could end up home as late as 4:30 p.m.
• Buses will be more crowded and require some elementary students to sit 3 per seat which can pose safety concerns.
• Lunches would be shortened from 40 minutes to 30 minutes. (Minimum allowed by state requirements)

Mannarino insists parents will get their say in the months leading up to a decision about this plan.

"We've established a task force of our PTA leadership that represents a cross section of North Hills school district parents," said Mannarino. "We're going to meet weekly through February so that if anything pops up we didn't think of, this group is going to try to iron through some of those problems." (See attached .pdf for the meeting schedule.)

In addition, the plan will be the subject of school board meetings in January and early February. Mannarino said a final decision would need to be made by Feb. 18 in order to give administrators time to implement it for the 2013-2014 school year.

Click on the attached video to Dr. Mannarino's presentation to the school board.

See the attached .pdf of Dr. Mannarino's Power Point presentation.

See the attached .pdf for answers to frequently asked questions about the proposal.

What do you think of the proposed changes? Tell us in the comments box below.

See the attached .pdf for answers to frequently asked questions about the proposal.

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