Hate Late Start Days? Your 2013-2014 School Calendar Questions Answered

• Elementary Schools: start time 8:25 a.m.; late start time 9:25 a.m.; end time 3:30 p.m. 
• Royal Oak Middle School: start time 8 a.m.; late start time 9 a.m.; end time 2:50 p.m. 
• Royal Oak High School: start time 7:55 a.m.; late start time 8:55; a.m.; end time 3:00 p.m.

Question: In relative terms, how do these compare to other districts? Answer: A quick survey of elementary start and end times at neighboring districts produced a range of times. Regular start times at elementary schools are as early as 8 a.m. and as late as 9:15 a.m.; afternoon end times vary from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. District calendars reflect a variety of strategies for providing teacher professional development and collaboration time, including the use of half days and late starts. 

Question: I utilize morning latchkey for my children. Will I need to pay an additional fee for the extra hour on the Wednesday’s when school starts later? Answer: For families who use a.m. latchkey services for elementary children, there is no additional charge on the Wednesdays when school starts later. Latchkey services on the late start Wednesdays will be extended until the later start time. A.M. latchkey rates for 2013-2014 are actually lower than they were in 2012-2013.

Question: I do not typically use A.M. latchkey services, but the late start days will create a challenge for my family. What options will be available for families with elementary aged children? Answer: A “homework club” option will be available at all elementary buildings from 8:25 a.m. – 9:25 a.m. on all late start Wednesdays. So that we can plan to properly supervise the children, there will be a registration form and fee that each family will complete. The fee will be $15 per family per semester; the fee will be waived for families participating in the free and reduced lunch program. During the first week in August, “homework club” registration forms will be posted on the district home page along with other back to school information and forms. These will also be distributed to all district families with an e-mail blast the first week in August. The deadline for submitting the fall registration forms and registration fees will be Aug. 23, 2013.

Question: What options will be available at the Middle School and High School? Answer: At Royal Oak Middle School, the “breakfast club,” that normally provides a place for students between the hours of 7:15 a.m. and 7:55 a.m. each school day, will be open from 7:15 a.m. to 8:55 a.m. on the late start days. At ROHS, students who need to arrive at 7:50 a.m. on late start days will be invited to use the cafeteria as a before school study hall area before school begins at 8:55 a.m. 

Question: How did the district determine to provide these options for late start days? Answer: Over the many years of conversation regarding calendars with late starts, a consistent priority has been making sure provision is made for those families for whom such a calendar would create a scheduling crisis. At PTA meetings this past month, there were conversations regarding how best to support families, including gathering input on the “homework club” registration fee and registration process.

Question: How do the calendars for 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 compare with previous calendars? Answer: The minutes of student instruction in 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 are the same as in previous years. Royal Oak Schools has consistently planned calendars with minutes of student instruction greater than the 1,098 minutes per school year mandated by the state. In previous calendars, teacher professional development time was provided through a combination of late starts and half days, scheduled on an inconsistent basis across building levels. In previous years, the cost incurred by families needing childcare for elementary aged childcare on teacher professional development half days was $135/child. This compares with a maximum cost of $30 per family (2 semesters at $15/semester) in 2013-2104 for the “homework club” registration.