By James Feichtner
Zionsville Community Schools students will see a change in the hours of their school day beginning in 2017. The ZCS school board approved the modifications, 4-1, at its May 9 meeting.
The new schedule will have kindergarten classes from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., elementary classes from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., middle school classes from 8:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. and high school classes from 8:30 a.m. to 3:40 p.m.
Board member Joe Stein, who voted against the change, said he was concerned with the effect the change will have on families with younger students who are supervised by older siblings after school.
“I think we are grossly underestimating the amount of hardship we will be placing on the families by moving the younger kids to a time when they get out before their older siblings,” Stein said. “I’m not in that situation, but I have talked to a number of families. I think that we’d be making a big mistake, and I think we would be hearing it a lot.”
Board member Debbie Ungar said while she understands the concerns of families having to worry about after-school care with earlier elementary dismissal, a later start time for younger students would introduce problems for working parents.
“I think the push is, to me, a non-starter for working parents because a 9:30 a.m. (elementary) start time is very difficult,” Ungar said. “I absolutely have compassion for people that are in a childcare situation in the afternoon with older students looking out for younger students. If we could make everybody’s schedule perfect for them we would love to do it, but it’s not fiscally responsible.”
In other school board news:
- Zionsville Community Schools Supt. Scott Robison and school board member Jim Longest received 10-year service awards.
- The board approved a price increase of 10 cents for all school lunches for the 2016-17 school year
