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Morton Academy staff propose earlier dismissal to protect teacher planning and reduce behavioral disruption
Summary
Morton Academy staff proposed moving dismissal to 2:00 p.m. so certified staff can supervise unstructured lunch/specials and teachers can receive protected planning time; board members asked about family logistics and next steps for stakeholder outreach.
Morton Academy staff presented a proposal to shift the program's student dismissal earlier in the day so that teachers have guaranteed planning time and certified staff can focus on supervision during historically high-behavior periods (lunch, recess and specials). Lindsay and Courtney said the schedule change would align the school with comparable public-day programs and improve students' opportunities to regulate during high-challenge windows.
The presenters described a behavior-tracking system that logs student behavior every 15 minutes and said moving dismissal earlier would allow teams to use post-day time (2:00'3:40 p.m.) for staff collaboration, debriefs, coaching and planning. They noted most comparator therapeutic-day programs they surveyed run similar shortened days and provide protected teacher planning after student dismissal.
Board members welcomed the planning benefits but asked about family transportation, after-school care impacts and coordination with host buildings if students transition back to other schools. Administrators said teachers would still be available until approximately 3:40 p.m. to accommodate family needs and the district will consult families, transportation and CYFS staff before any change is finalized.
The board did not take immediate action; the administration said it would continue stakeholder outreach and return with implementation proposals if warranted.
