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RUSD previews 2025‑26 start and end times; several 4K programs shifting to full‑day
Summary
District staff presented a chart with minor schedule edits for 2025‑26 including conversion of some 4K programs to full day and a handful of five‑minute dismissal shifts; Schulte remains an earlier start at 7:15 a.m.; board members raised student sleep and transportation scheduling concerns.
Racine Unified School District staff presented proposed start and end times for the 2025‑26 school year at the March 3 work session and described a handful of changes and cleanups in the schedule chart included in the board packet.
District staff, led by Major Milani (chief human resources officer) and Carrie Hanstead (deputy chief of employee relations), said several 4K programs that had been half‑day will transition to full‑day 4K at specific schools. The chart in the packet includes an update marking Fratt, Julian Thomas, Knapp, SC Johnson and Gilmore as having no half‑day 4K programs; staff also said Gilmore will offer a full‑day 4K program for the first time in the coming year. Olympia Brown and Red Apple were listed with a five‑minute dismissal time change tied to a move to include a seventh grade program and required instructional minutes.
Board members asked why Schulte K‑8 starts at 7:15 a.m. while most other K‑8 schools start later; staff said Schulte historically started earlier and that transportation routing and capacity were factors. A board member asked whether start times could change to benefit high school students’ sleep; staff and board members said the district has reviewed the issue in the past and that transportation schedules, student work, athletics and other responsibilities have repeatedly led the district back to the current configuration. Staff said the district can review the matter again but noted prior reviews returned similar conclusions because of routings and extracurricular commitments.
Another board member asked about dual enrollment; staff said scheduling of dual enrollment classes does not appear to be a primary driver of the high‑school start time configuration. Because this was a work session presentation, administrators did not ask the board for approval; staff said the chart will be finalized and posted consistent with district procedures.
