Schools

Hate Late Start Days? Your 2013-2014 School Calendar Questions Answered

Who decides the school calendar and why are there 24 late start days?

When Patch reader Laura questioned the number of late start days in a three sentence post to our boards last week, it spurred a long discussion on Royal Oak Patch's Facebook page.

[Read the Facebook comments here.]

To follow up, here's the scoop on the 2013-2014 school calendar from Royal Oak Schools' redesigned website. The district answers frequently asked questions, including the process for setting  the school year calendar.

Question: Who decides on the calendars for the school year?
 Answer: Calendars are a mandatory subject of collective bargaining with the collective bargaining unit for teachers. In addition, there are various state laws that limit local district decision making regarding school calendars. These laws include provisions regarding the start of the school year (the first day for students must be after the Labor Day Holiday) and the number of days students attend school (we must have at least the same number of instructional days as we had in 2009-2010.)

Question: What was the process for setting the 2013-2014 calendar? Answer: For the past several years, teachers and administrators have been working together towards the development of a calendar that provides regular and consistent time for teacher collaboration and professional development. There is a body of research that indicates that providing regular and consistent time for teachers to review data and collaborate on instructional practices is one of the most effective strategies to improve student achievement. The calendars for 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 achieve this goal through establishing “late starts” on twenty-four Wednesdays throughout the school year. On twenty-four Wednesdays, teachers will be arriving to work early and students will be beginning their instructional days one hour later. Together, these adjustments will create ninety minute blocks for regular and consistent teacher professional development and collaboration.

Question: What will the start and end times be for school next year? Answer:

  • Elementary Schools: start time 8:25 a.m.; late start time 9:25 a.m.; end time 3:30 p.m. 
  • Royal Oak Middle School: start time 8 a.m.; late start time 9 a.m.; end time 2:50 p.m. 
  • Royal Oak High School: start time 7:55 a.m.; late start time 8:55; a.m.; end time 3:00 p.m.

Question: In relative terms, how do these compare to other districts? Answer: A quick survey of elementary start and end times at neighboring districts produced a range of times. Regular start times at elementary schools are as early as 8 a.m. and as late as 9:15 a.m.; afternoon end times vary from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. District calendars reflect a variety of strategies for providing teacher professional development and collaboration time, including the use of half days and late starts. 

Question: I utilize morning latchkey for my children. Will I need to pay an additional fee for the extra hour on the Wednesday’s when school starts later? Answer: For families who use a.m. latchkey services for elementary children, there is no additional charge on the Wednesdays when school starts later. Latchkey services on the late start Wednesdays will be extended until the later start time. A.M. latchkey rates for 2013-2014 are actually lower than they were in 2012-2013.

Question: I do not typically use A.M. latchkey services, but the late start days will create a challenge for my family. What options will be available for families with elementary aged children? Answer: A “homework club” option will be available at all elementary buildings from 8:25 a.m. – 9:25 a.m. on all late start Wednesdays. So that we can plan to properly supervise the children, there will be a registration form and fee that each family will complete. The fee will be $15 per family per semester; the fee will be waived for families participating in the free and reduced lunch program. During the first week in August, “homework club” registration forms will be posted on the district home page along with other back to school information and forms. These will also be distributed to all district families with an e-mail blast the first week in August. The deadline for submitting the fall registration forms and registration fees will be Aug. 23, 2013.

Question: What options will be available at the Middle School and High School? Answer: At Royal Oak Middle School, the “breakfast club,” that normally provides a place for students between the hours of 7:15 a.m. and 7:55 a.m. each school day, will be open from 7:15 a.m. to 8:55 a.m. on the late start days. At ROHS, students who need to arrive at 7:50 a.m. on late start days will be invited to use the cafeteria as a before school study hall area before school begins at 8:55 a.m. 

Question: How did the district determine to provide these options for late start days? Answer: Over the many years of conversation regarding calendars with late starts, a consistent priority has been making sure provision is made for those families for whom such a calendar would create a scheduling crisis. At PTA meetings this past month, there were conversations regarding how best to support families, including gathering input on the “homework club” registration fee and registration process.

Question: How do the calendars for 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 compare with previous calendars? Answer: The minutes of student instruction in 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 are the same as in previous years. Royal Oak Schools has consistently planned calendars with minutes of student instruction greater than the 1,098 minutes per school year mandated by the state. In previous calendars, teacher professional development time was provided through a combination of late starts and half days, scheduled on an inconsistent basis across building levels. In previous years, the cost incurred by families needing childcare for elementary aged childcare on teacher professional development half days was $135/child. This compares with a maximum cost of $30 per family (2 semesters at $15/semester) in 2013-2104 for the “homework club” registration.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here