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Schools

School calendar vote delayed

A group of parents protest the 7:40 a.m. start time for their elementary-age children.

By DONNA WINCHESTER
Published May 11, 2005

LARGO - The Pinellas School Board was poised Tuesday to approve school opening and closing times for 2005-06 until parental concerns prompted superintendent Clayton Wilcox to remove the item from the agenda.

Wilcox had recommended the district maintain the present schedule for the next school year while he works with transportation officials to retool the system.

He already has begun talks with one of the country's largest transportation companies to try to reorganize the district's bus route system, which determines when schools open.

But a group of parents from Cypress Woods Elementary School protested that another year with a 7:40 a.m. start time was unfair. They said that after years of being saddled with an "undesirable" time, they deserved to have their morning bell changed to 8:40 a.m.

More important, they said, the school's proximity to East Lake High School, which dismisses its students at approximately the same time as the elementary school, made a 1:40 p.m. dismissal unsafe. An 8:40 a.m. start would mean a 2:40 p.m. dismissal.

The high school students are "in a hurry on the road along the bus route that carries our children," said Natalie Donaldson. "They don't stop when buses are letting kids off."

Recalling that Cypress Woods parents had petitioned the board a year ago to change the start time, School Board member Jane Gallucci agreed that the school's concerns should be addressed. After other board members agreed, Gallucci made a motion to separate Cypress Wood's start time from the others and proceed with the vote.

But concerns that other schools might be in a situation similar to the Palm Harbor school gave board members pause. Those other schools include McMullen-Booth and Eisenhower elementaries, Gallucci said.

Stating that the issue had become "increasingly difficult," Wilcox withdrew the item from the agenda. He asked board members to let him know which school start and end times they would like him to investigate before the next board meeting, when the item will come back for a vote.

In other business, the board:

Approved improvements for parking and physical education facilities at St. Petersburg High School at an estimated cost of $1.9-million.

Approved a recommendation to suspend a Gibbs High School teacher for 10 days without pay for allowing students to operate a School Board vehicle.

Set a public hearing to consider an independent oversight committee that will monitor $26-million in tax revenue over four years to boost teacher pay and preserve art, music and reading programs.

[Last modified May 11, 2005, 00:45:11]