Altering Secondary and Elementary Start and End Times & Two-Tiered Busing Rationale: 2014-15

LARRY MUSSOLINE, PH.D, SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS JEFFREY SIMMONS, TRANSPORTATION SUPERVISOR

The Educational Proposal

District Elementary Program Total Engaged Time 2013-14

6:57

6:50

6:48 6:45 6:45

6:43

6:36

6:35

6:35

6:35

6:30
6:28

6:30

6:30

6:30
6:25

6:21 6:15 6:14

6:07

6:00

5:52

Elementary Program Instructional Time Changes

Current length of overall day = 6 hours & 25 minutes Proposed length of overall day = 6 hours & 40 minutes Teacher work day under both scenarios = 7 hours & 30 minutes

Time Change Proposals

Current Elementary Program = K-5
8:15 am teachers arrive 8:55 am until 3:20 pm Student Day (6:25)----3:45 pm teachers depart

Proposal for 2014-15 Elementary Program = K-6

8:20 am teachers arrive 8:50 am until 3:30 pm Student Day (6:40)--3:50 pm teachers depart

Current High School Program = 9-12

7:15 am teachers arrive 7:25 am until 2:25pm Student Day (7:00)----2:45 pm teachers depart

Middle School Program = 6-8

7:30 am teachers arrive 7:50 am until 2:46 pm Student Day (6:56)----3:00 teachers depart

Proposal for 2014-15 Secondary Program = 7-12

7:25 am Teachers Arrive 7:40 am until 2:40 pm Student Day (7:00)--2:55 pm teachers depart

Educational Rationale for the Time Change in 2014-15

1. As per a previous slide, DASDs elementary program is one of the shortest elementary programs in terms of engaged time in Chester County. 2. The onset of the 6th center program in 2014-15 located on an elementary school site requires time schedules to be more congruent for bussing and sharing teachers in order to create organizational efficiencies related to costs and time.

3. The elementary program will align to the secondary program having a 6day cycle schedule starting in 2014-15 again for organizational efficiencies related to staffing and costs. 4. The World Language encore will begin as the 6th encore for all (K-5) elementary students in 2014-15 thus creating a 6-day cycle for the elementary program. 6-day cycle alignment is key for staffing.

Educational Rationale for the Time Change in 2014-15

5. While all

current encore (5-day cycle) subjects meet 36 times for 45 minutes during the school year, the proposal going to a 6-day cycle & the time change will allow for 30 meetings for 50 minutes per encore subject. 1. The net loss of instructional minutes for all encore subjects will now be 120 minutes rather than 270 minutes. (ex. - 150 minutes gained adding 5 minutes on to 30 encore periods and then subtracting the 270 minute loss of 6 meeting dates)

6. Beginning the secondary day 15 minutes later, especially for high school students will assist a bit with older adolescent sleep patterns. 7. Beginning the secondary day 15 minutes later will assist in winter daylight issues with bus stop pickups.

8. While the teacher contractual day remains the same for all teachers, the middle level day will actually pick up 4 additional minutes in the student day. Positive for Wed PD days.

Organizational Rationale for the Two-Tiered Busing Proposal 2014-15

9. We believe the creation of a two-tiered bussing system will provide organizational efficiencies by transporting K-6 students together and 712 students together. 10. We were told in December of 2010 when the decision was made to create a 6th center at Shamona Creek that between 8 to even 20 new bus runs would be needed to transport 6th graders from all attendance areas to this site in a timely manor. We believe this proposal mitigates the need for excessive transportation budgetary increases because of the efficiencies in groupings of students now available as a result of the twotiered system. 11. We will be alleviating traffic issues around all townships by not running busses at six (6) different AM and PM times each day for 180 days. Traffic will be reduced to four runs.
.

Organizational Rationale for the Two-Tiered Busing Proposal 2014-15

12. Older siblings will still be able to arrive home before the younger siblings in the K-6 program. 13. A two tiered schedule now clearly aligns teacher staffing to share teachers between our K-6 programs and our 7-12 programs much more easily.

14. The Wednesday professional development schedule will improve because we will move to a two-tiered system of 7-12 meetings followed by K-6 meetings rather than a three-tired system of meeting with our staff on these very important days.

Time Line for Initiative

1. July 2013 Review elementary time compared with Chester County and CBA review 2. August 21, 2013 Meet with DAEA leadership to explain our proposal 3. September 3, 2013 Explain the proposal to the Board (most board members attended) and entire Curriculum Council at a public BCC meeting. 4. October 1, 2013 Reiterate the finalized proposal to Board and BCC 5. October 2, 2013 Present proposal to full board at public work session asking for review and questions. 6. October 2, 2013 through final vote Respond to questions. 7. December 2, 2013 Bussing mock up analysis of cost for 6th center and two-tiered schedule 8. Vote on this proposal on January 8, 2014 or February 13, 2014.

Transportation Report on the 2014 2015 Proposed Changes

Transportation Information (Current Day)

183 School Buses/Vans

Breakdown of Fleet
(approx.)

3 Bus Contractors

Eagle-Wolfington Leasing Krapf Bus Company On The Go Kids

103 Buses Public 40 Buses Private/Charter 40 Buses Special Programs

15 Public Schools 34 Private Schools 4 Charter Schools 38 Special Programs 162 Bell Times Per Day

Two Tier Public Bell Schedule

(Proposed for 2014-2015)
Bell Times Present Day High School 7:25AM to 2:25PM Bell Times 2014-2015 High School 7:40AM to 2:40PM

Middle School 7:55AM to 2:46PM

Elementary 8:55AM to 3:20PM

Middle School 7:40AM to 2:40PM

Elementary 8:50AM to 3:30PM Sixth Grade Center 8:50AM to 3:30PM

Two Tier Public Bell Schedule

(Proposed for 2014-2015)
Factors: Addition of the Sixth Grade Center 31 Bus Routes AM & PM (includes buses with Shamona Creek Elementary) Combination of Grades 7 through 12 on same bus runs
Given challenges: Private and Charter School Runs / Start & End Times Special Programs / Start & End Times Least amount of increase in vehicles Maintaining manageable capacities on vehicles Reasonable ride times to and from school Shape and size of the district (82 square miles hour glass shape)

Busing Plan Comparison

Buses*
Current Year 3 Tier Bussing 2014-15 Proposed Bell changes 2 Tier Bussing Sixth Grade Ctr. 2014-15 No Bell Schedule change 3 Tier Bussing Sixth Grade Ctr.

Public

103 40 40 183

112 41 40 193

116 47 40 203

Private / Charter
Special Programs Total

Increase
*Approximate

-----

+10

+20

AVERAGE RIDE TIMES w/ Bell Schedule Changes in 14-15

Building DHSE DHSW DMS LMS STEM 2013-2014 29 38 40 44 48 2014-2015 35 45 --48

SIXTH GRADE CTR.

BC BH BW EW LE PV SC

-45 35 33 25 34 28 28

49
36 35 29 25 31 25 --

SM
UH WB

37
22 36

35
19 29

AVERAGE LOAD COUNTS w/ Bell Schedule Changes in 14-15

Building DHSE DHSW DMS LMS STEM 2013-2014 57 59 42 52 32 50 50 47 51 55 48 42 47 54 55 2014-2015 53 50 --32

SIXTH GRADE CTR.

BC BH BW EW LE PV SC SM UH WB

47
49 54 44 58 51 49 -49 54 51