Report/Action

BOARD OF EDUCATION OF HOWARD COUNTY MEETING AGENDA ITEM TITLE:

School Start and Dismissal Time Charter Committee Report

PRESENTER(S):

DATE:

October 22, 2015

Frank V. Eastham Jr., Executive Director of School Improvement and Administration David Ramsay, Director of Transportation

VISION 2018 GOAL:

Students

Staff

Families and Community

Organization

OVERVIEW: A School Start and Dismissal Time Charter Committee was established under the direction of the Superintendent to gather input from a broad base of stakeholders regarding the possibility of adjusting the start and dismissal times of schools. The committee: examined research related to school start times; developed a survey to identify impacts on student well-being, student activities, community activities, and safety; and, determined a five-phase process for the analysis of school start and dismissal times, including opportunities for community feedback. This report examines the committee’s results related to Phase III of the charter, including the development of implementation models for elementary, middle, and high schools and costs associated with each model. RECOMMENDATION/FUTURE DIRECTION: The Board of Education will review the proposed models and select the models that are to be reviewed at the community forums. Information gathered through Phases I-III and the community forums will be used to shape the future direction of school start times. SUBMITTED BY:

APPROVAL/CONCURRENCE: Frank V. Eastham Executive Director School Improvement and Administration

Renee A. Foose, Ed.D. Superintendent

Linda T. Wise Deputy Superintendent

BACKGROUND In September 2013, the Howard County Public School System Superintendent charged staff to convene an exploratory work group to examine school start and dismissal times. The charge directed staff to examine research on high school start times with specific attention to student engagement, student achievement, and student well-being. The group reviewed sleep studies/research, high school start times throughout Maryland jurisdictions, and additional information relevant to how shifting high school start times might impact other programs at all levels. The initial work group became the School Start and Dismissal Time (SSDT) Charter Committee and the committee’s work has evolved to include five phases. THE FIVE PHASES •

Review existing research and conduct an exploratory study of shifts to school start and dismissal times and potential impacts.

Phase II

• •

Establish a Charter Committee. Seek stakeholder feedback.

Phase III

• • •

Develop scalable implementation models. Prepare a detailed impact analysis for each model. Report to the Board of Education and HCPSS community on Phase III.

Phase IV

• •

Solicit additional stakeholder feedback through community forums. Report findings from community forums to the Board of Education for Board action.

•

Develop a detailed implementation plan should the Board of Education approve a change in start and dismissal times.

Phase I

Phase V

Any potential adjustments to school start and dismissal times will impact a multitude of stakeholders including, but not limited to students, parents, daycare providers, bus drivers, school-based staff, community members, coaches. Such an important decision requires a thorough process that provides multiple opportunities for stakeholders to carefully consider the realities associated with potential options and provide meaningful input that will ultimately be in the best interest of students. It is important to note that while one stakeholder may suggest a change that will result in some positive outcomes, that one change may cause a ripple effect of negative consequences for other stakeholders. For this reason, the SSDT Charter Committee is working through a thoughtful, deliberate process that will maximize stakeholder input and result in quality decisions for our school system.

 

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PHASE III OVERVIEW The School Start and Dismissal Time Charter Committee met three times during the summer and early fall of 2015 to complete the tasks in Phase III. Using the survey results and input from the committee, four potential models were developed and compared to the current model. These four models altered which schools have the earliest and latest start times and the length of the window buses are able to pick-up and drop-off students. Once the models were developed, the Office of Pupil Transportation identified the operational and cost implications for each model. Changing bell times impacts the operations and cost of student transportation for the following reasons: • Shrinking the existing operational and bell time window The current morning bell time window is 7:25 AM – 9:25 AM (2 hours) and the afternoon bell time window is 2:10 PM – 3:55 PM (1 hour and 45 minutes). Under each additional model being considered, the windows are compressed in both the morning and afternoon. This will decrease the number of buses that are able to make three or four trips and will increase the number of buses needed, increasing bus costs. • Switching the existing high school and middle school tier High school trips are longer than middle or elementary trips. This is primarily due to high school attendance areas being larger than middle or elementary school attendance areas. When long high school trips are inserted into the middle of the operational window, the ability to have these buses serve later middle or elementary school trips is diminished, thus causing a decrease in fleet efficiency. • School time constraints to stagger middle and high school bell times Under the current bell time model, 25% of middle schools are assigned a 7:40 AM start time. The reason for this is to maximize assignment of work to buses. There are 250 high school trips, and 326 buses, so 76 buses are assigned to the early middle schools to ensure that each bus is fully deployed. Since staggering high school times is not an option currently under consideration, the fleet will not be fully deployed at the earliest start time which decreases efficiencies. • Daylight influences On the shortest day of the year, sunrise occurs at 7:24 AM and sunset occurs at 4:50 PM. One goal in all models is to minimize the number of students who would be required to walk to or from school or their bus stop prior to sunrise or after sunset. • Traffic Recent reports from the Fairfax and Montgomery County Public School systems are indicating that the newly implemented schedules are experiencing difficulties due to traffic at adjusted times. In addition, the committee examined the following key areas and how the four models would impact these areas: § § § § §

 

Student well-being as it relates to adequate sleep Student safety and comfort Before and after-school activities (school-based and community-based) Interscholastic Athletics Program Before and after-school childcare

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§ § § § §

Homework completion time Evening School operation Family life of students/families (e.g. supervision before and after school, academic, religious, social activities) Community use of recreation facilities Employee work schedules

IMPACT ANALYSIS To analyze how the four new models being considered would impact transportation, the Office of Pupil Transportation used Environmental System Research Institute Developer Network Analyst’s extension to create the most efficient routes possible under each model. Five opening and closing models (the current model and four new models) were tested. For each model, the total number of vehicles is determined based on how many tiers can be assigned to each vehicle. The number of tiers a vehicle completes is an indicator of efficiency: the more trips a bus makes, the more efficiently that bus is being utilized. The total transportation cost was calculated using the current per bus cost multiplied by the number of buses needed under each model. The School Start and Dismissal Time Charter Committee added strengths and impact considerations. The first analysis conducted was on Howard County Public Schools current model. The output from this scenario provided a check to ensure each new model produced a realistic number of buses to accommodate the number of trips, and whether trips were tiered in a logical and efficient way. Subsequent models adjusted school start and finish times and calculated how many buses were necessary to service every trip. Office of Pupil Transportation staff reviewed the output to ensure it had face validity and made logical sense. The five models and their results follow.

 

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MODEL 1 – CURRENT Key Features High schools have the earliest start times. Elementary schools have the latest start times. The earliest start time is 7:25 AM. The latest start time is 9:25 AM. Start Times • Elementary schools start from 8:35 AM to 9:25 AM • Middle schools start from 7:40 AM to 8:25 AM • High schools start at 7:25 AM • Cedar Lane starts at 7:55 AM • Homewood starts at 7:25 AM Number of Buses Required Number of Trips/Bus

# General Buses

# Specialized Buses

Total Buses

1 2 3 4 5

4 5 9 70 35 105 177 58 235 75 28 103 1 0 1 Grand Total 327 126 453 The results from the current model are used to confirm the validity of each model’s predictions, not to imply that this is the absolute number of buses the district will require. The actual number of buses in use is 453 (327 general and 126 specialized). Strengths • This plan is cost neutral. • No elementary students begin their transit to school prior to sunrise or from school after sunset on the shortest days of the year. • Only 19% of current middle school students begin their transit to school prior to sunrise on the shortest days of the year. • There is sufficient time for high school students for after-school activities. Impact Considerations • All high school students begin their transit to school prior to sunrise on the shortest days of the year. • High school students’ well-being as it relates to adequate sleep: ♦ Number of sleep hours ♦ Wake time ♦ Alertness in morning classes Projected Costs • No additional costs are anticipated.

 

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MODEL 2 Key Features Middle school, Cedar Lane, and Homewood students have the earliest start times. Elementary schools have the latest start times. The earliest start time is 7:45 AM. The latest start time is 9:00 AM. Start Times and Delivery Windows School Level High School Middle School

Delivery Window 15 min. 15 min.

Elementary School

15 min.

Cedar Lane Homewood

15 min. 15 min.

Bell Time Window 8:15 AM – 3:00 PM 7:45 AM – 2:30 PM 8:30 AM – 3:15 PM 9:00 AM – 3:45 PM 7:45 AM – 2:30 PM 7:45 AM – 2:30 PM

Number of Buses Required Number of Trips/Bus

# General Buses

# Specialized Buses

Total Buses

1 2 3 4 5

95 200 132 0 0 427

40 45 80 1 0 166

135 245 212 1 0 593

Grand Total

Strengths • Five middle schools already start near 7:45 AM. • No elementary or high school students begin their transit to school prior to sunrise or from school after sunset. • There is a slight increase in time for after-school activities for middle school students. Impact Considerations • The elementary schedule remains similar to the current schedule. • Some middle school students begin their transit to school prior to sunrise on the shortest days of the year. • There is a slight decrease in time for after-school activities for high school students. • Reduction in time for high school staff members to supervise after-school activities. • Reduction of available time on turf field with Recreation and Parks due to MOU • There are increased costs due to: ♦ Shrinking existing bell time/operational window ♦ Switching the existing high school/middle school tier. Projected Cost Increase • General Bus Fleet (100 Buses) - $6,000,000 • Specialized Bus Fleet (40 Buses) - $3,200,000 • Administration (3 Bus Routers) - $107,706

 

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MODEL 3 Key Features Middle schools have the earliest start time. Elementary and high Schools have the latest start times. The earliest start time is 7:30 AM. The latest start time is 9:00 AM. Start Times and Delivery Windows School Level High School Middle School Elementary School

Delivery Window 15 min. 15 min. 15 min.

Cedar Lane Homewood

Bell Time Window 8:30 AM – 3:15 PM 7:30 AM – 2:15 PM 8:30 AM – 3:15 PM 9:00 AM – 3:45 PM 7:45 AM – 2:30 PM 7:45 AM – 2:30 PM

15 min. 15 min.

Number of Buses Required Number of Trips/Bus

# General Buses

# Specialized Buses

Total Buses

1 2 3 4 5

119 221 136 6 0 482

52 39 75 0 0 166

171 260 211 6 0 648

Grand Total

Strengths • There would be less unsupervised time for high school students after school. • Start times would be one hour later for high school students. • No elementary or high school students begin their transit to school prior to sunrise or from school after sunset. Impact Considerations • All middle school students begin their transit to school prior to sunrise on the shortest days of the year. • This is a decrease in time for after-school activities for high school students. • Reduction of available time on turf field with Recreation and Parks due to MOU • There are increased costs due to: ♦ Shrinking existing bell time/operational window ♦ Switching the existing high school/middle school tier. • Some elementary schools dismiss at the same time as high schools (3:15 PM), this will limit high school students from picking up younger siblings. Projected Cost Increase • General Bus Fleet (155 buses) - $9,300,000 • Specialized Bus Fleet (40 buses) - $3,200,000 • Administration (4 Bus Routers) - $143,608

 

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MODEL 4 Key Features Middle schools have the earliest start time. High schools have the latest start time. The earliest start time is 7:30 AM. The latest start time is 9:15 AM. Start Times and Delivery Windows School Level High School Middle School

Delivery Window 15 min. 15 min.

Elementary School

15 min.

Cedar Lane Homewood

15 min. 15 min.

Bell Time Window 9:15 AM – 4:00 PM 7:30 AM – 2:15 PM 8:00 AM – 2:45 PM 8:30 AM – 3:15 PM 7:45 AM – 2:30 PM 7:45 AM – 2:30 PM

Number of Buses Required Number of Trips/Bus

1 2 3 4 5 Grand Total

# General Buses

# Specialized Buses

16 50 169 92 0 327

Total Buses

60 72 33 11 0 176

76 132 202 103 0 513

Strengths • There would be less unsupervised time for high school students after school. • There would be close to a two hour later start time for high school students. • No elementary or high school students begin their transit to school prior to sunrise or from school after sunset. Impact Considerations • All middle school students begin their transit to school prior to sunrise on the shortest days of the year. • There would be a decrease in time for after-school activities for high school students. • Athletic contests would start later. • Some elementary students may be in after-care for a longer time. • Reduction of available time on turf field with Recreation and Parks due to MOU • There are increased costs due to: ♦ Specialized transportation requirements for Homewood and Cedar Lane tiered next to elementary schools--these are the schools with the highest demand. Projected Cost Increase • General Bus Fleet (0 buses) - $0 • Specialized Bus Fleet (50 buses) - $4,000,000 • Administration (2 Bus Routers) - $71,804  

 

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MODEL 5 Key Features Elementary schools have the earliest start time. Middle schools have the latest start time. The earliest start time is 7:45 AM. The latest start time is 9:15 AM. Start Times and Delivery Windows School Level High School Middle School Elementary School

Delivery Window 15 min. 15 min. 15 min.

Cedar Lane Homewood

Bell Time Window 8:15 AM – 3:00 PM 9:15 AM – 4:00 PM 7:45 AM – 2:30 PM 8:00 AM – 2:45 PM 9:00 AM – 3:45 PM 9:00 AM – 3:45 PM

15 min. 15 min.

Number of Buses Required Number of Trips/Bus

# General Buses

# Specialized Buses

Total Buses

1 2 3 4 5

120 190 140 4 0 454

81 34 40 27 0 182

201 224 180 31 0 636

Grand Total

Strengths • This plan would result in more sleep time for older students (middle and high school). • The change for after-school activities is minimal. • Elementary students will not be home for as long in the morning. Impact Considerations • Second job opportunities for middle school teachers may decrease, including coaching opportunities due to late dismissal. • More elementary students begin their transit to school prior to sunrise on the shortest days of the year. • Some elementary students may be home alone longer in the afternoons. • There are increased costs due to: ♦ Shrinking existing bell time/operational window ♦ Switching the existing high school/middle school tier. Projected Cost Increase • General Bus Fleet (127) - $7,620,000 • Specialized Bus Fleet (56) - $4,480,000 • Administration - (5 Bus Routers) - $179,510

 

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NEXT STEPS School start and dismissal times impact the entire community. It is critical that stakeholders are involved and their input carefully considered in all phases of this detailed process. Understanding the value of collecting as much stakeholder feedback as possible, the SSDT Charter Committee will move into Phase IV by soliciting additional stakeholder feedback from students, staff, parents, and community members through a series of community forums. During these forums, stakeholders will examine the details of each model, clarify lingering questions, and voice additional strengths and impact considerations not already captured. Following the forums, the SSDT Charter committee will compile and analyze all the feedback and report the findings to the Board of Education for Board approval. Should the Board of Education approve a change in start and dismissal times, a detailed implementation plan for the model selected will be developed.

 

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