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Parents and teachers tell board: don’t extend first‑ and second‑grade school day
Summary
Dozens of teachers and parents testified against a district proposal to add about 25 minutes to the daily schedule for first‑ and second‑grade students, citing developmental readiness, increased fatigue and traffic concerns; the board asked staff for more outreach before any change.
A proposal under consideration by Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified to extend the daily schedule for first‑ and second‑grade students drew sustained public opposition at the Feb. 12 board meeting.
Alisa Morimoto, a Silverspur Elementary teacher, said younger students are not developmentally prepared for a later dismissal and warned that lengthening the day could increase anxiety, stress and behavioral problems. "When you push children beyond what is developmentally appropriate they become overwhelmed, overstimulated and exhausted," Morimoto said.
Parents and teachers gave multiple, similar accounts: Angie Whit said an extended 3:00 p.m. dismissal would worsen traffic on PV Drive and make pick‑up untenable for many families; Abby Cowen and Lisa Mack, both longtime K–2 teachers, said research and classroom experience show younger students have shorter attention spans and that extra minutes are unlikely to boost instruction but could heighten meltdowns and classroom management burdens.
Why it matters: the district sent a survey to parents and teachers to solicit input; staff described the change as a management decision under consideration. Board members repeatedly said they wanted to hear more from teachers and parents and to better understand neighboring districts’ schedules before approving any change.
Board response and next steps: Dr Sano (superintendent) said staff sent a communication and survey and would collect input. Several board members stressed the importance of teacher and parent input and asked staff to provide comparative data about neighboring districts’ schedules, after‑school care availability and traffic impacts before bringing a final proposal forward.
No change was adopted at the meeting. The item remains under study and the board asked staff to continue community engagement and return with clearer rationale and data if the district moves the proposal forward.
