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Sarasota keeps similar start-times under state statute; district sets three tiers
Summary
Superintendent Terry Connor said state statute required districts to decide on start-time changes or a waiver; Sarasota made minimal adjustments to improve bus turnaround and set high schools at 7:30 a.m., elementary and K'8 at 8:30 a.m., and middle schools at 9:30 a.m.
Terry Connor, superintendent of Sarasota County Schools, said the district considered statewide statute requiring either schedule changes or a waiver and chose to keep a similar schedule while making small adjustments to improve bus turnaround. "We conducted extensive surveys... and so overwhelmingly, we were told that remaining on our similar schedule would be the best bet," Connor said.
Connor described the resulting three-tier schedule intended to ease transportation logistics: "Our high schools will be starting at 07:30AM. Our elementaries and our K—s will be starting at 08:30, and then our middle schools at 09:30." He said the slight shifts were aimed at improving bus routing because the same buses serve multiple grade levels and those turnaround intervals matter for reliable service.
The superintendent framed the decision as based on community feedback and operational needs. Families were directed to district communications for specific school exceptions such as magnet programs.
