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District to recommend keeping current school start and stop times after SAC votes; change would cost roughly $500,000
Summary
After SAC (School Advisory Council) meetings, most groups that had quorums voted to keep current start/stop times; staff told the board that moving to the single proposed schedule would require three additional buses and drivers, costing close to $500,000, and that district will submit its recommendation to the state.
District staff presented the results of School Advisory Council outreach required by the state and said most SACs that had quorums voted to keep the district’s current start and stop times.
Mr. Harvey and Mr. Bradford explained the district process for meeting the state’s reporting requirements (number of meetings, parent input and documentation) and said principals and SAC presidents led informational discussions at school meetings. They reported that all SAC groups with quorums voted to keep the existing times except one tie at Port Charlotte Middle School; Charlotte High School did not have a quorum to vote.
On costs, district staff said moving to the single proposed start time would eliminate some staggering of elementary routes but require adding three buses and three drivers, with a combined cost for vehicles and staffing estimated at close to half a million dollars. "We would have to add three drivers and three school buses, which is an increase of close to half a million dollars between buying the buses and three drivers," a district presenter said.
A board member asked whether the public notice increased participation; staff said principals did not send a consolidated participation figure but noted anecdotally that middle‑school SAC meetings saw higher turnout, likely because the proposed changes would have pushed some elementary start times much earlier.
Next steps: district staff said they will complete the forms and submit the recommendation to the state early so the state has time to raise concerns and the district can adjust if necessary. The transcript records the presentation and Q&A but does not show a board vote on the recommendation; staff expected the board vote to occur that night.
