Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Start Times topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parents and educators push back on Pleasantville plan to start elementary school at 9 a.m.
Summary
Parents, teachers and the Pleasantville Education Association urged the board to reconsider a proposed 9:00 a.m. elementary start time, citing childcare affordability, staffing limits and student safety; the superintendent said dismissal will remain 3:10 p.m. and the district will provide parent guidance within seven days.
Parents and teachers at the Pleasantville Board of Education meeting on Aug. 12 pressed district leaders over a proposed bell schedule that would shift elementary school start times to 9:00 a.m.
Multiple speakers said a later elementary start would force families in a low‑income district to pay for before‑care they cannot afford or risk arriving late to work. “I can’t afford before care,” one parent said, explaining that arriving by 8:50 a.m. allowed her to reach work by 9:06. Teachers and the president of the Pleasantville Education Association also warned that later start times could complicate extracurriculars and create unpaid supervision gaps between teacher contract end times and student dismissal.
Superintendent Martinez said the recommended schedule would start elementary instruction at 9:00 a.m. and dismiss at 3:10 p.m., with middle and high schools staggered earlier to reduce on‑campus congestion and improve high‑school attendance. Martinez said no instructional minutes would be cut, that staff planning time would be moved to the start of the day, and that the district would provide a no‑cost drop‑off option around 8:50 a.m. She told parents the district would supply a detailed schedule and operational plan within seven days.
The Pleasantville Education Association, which said it received more than 400 survey responses from educators over the summer, warned the board that 12 open grievances remain and said changes to schedules and after‑school programming must not conflict with contract provisions. Educators noted risks if teachers must leave for second jobs or if after‑school programs begin after staff contract time ends.
Board members and district staff said they were still finalizing start‑of‑year operational details, including procedures for early arrivals, after‑school transportation for program participants and plans to add noontime aides in elementary schools so teachers can have duty‑free lunches. The superintendent reiterated plans for parent outreach and three community strategic‑planning meetings this fall.
The board did not vote to adopt a permanent schedule at the Aug. 12 meeting; members said more information would be provided and another meeting is scheduled for Aug. 26.
