On most week days during the school year, the high school parking lots we be packed with cars by the current starting time, 8:16 a.m. However, on nine days throughout this school year the parking lot will not be seeing action until the new late start time of 8:40 a.m.

Starting with the 2012-2013 school year, the four Rockwood high schools will be experimenting by implementing an alternate schedule on nine Mondays. The days will start about half an hour later than the normal class days. This is providing teachers the chance to spend more time in their Professional Learning Communities (PLC).

According to the Rockwood School District (RSD) website, PLCs consist of “teams of teachers who work together to share best practices, review data and discuss strategies to help students learn better.” In other words, teachers will arrive at school at their normal time to meet in these groups and students will have the opportunity to sleep in. This is the aspect that many people are looking forward to.

“I can’t wait to sleep in, even if it’s just a few times throughout the year. I think it will be good,” senior Jessica Chandler said.

Others, however, think the late start schedule will not be a positive change.

“I do not think that we should [have a late start schedule] because then we will get off our morning routine. If we have late start days people will be more interested in staying home and skipping,” junior Tyler Laudeman said.

RSD is joining the many other school districts across the nation who have already utilized such a program.

Senior Stephanie Drucker from Chicago, IL attends Niles North High School where they have been implementing a similar program for as long as she has been in high school.

“I just love the extra sleep. It’s nice to have an extra rest day in the middle of the month,” she said. Her classes begin an hour and a half later than their normal schedule once per month. Drucker had ideas of what students could do on the late start days.

“A lot of people [at my school] go and eat breakfast or visit their middle schools,” she said.

Another high school student from Grafton, WI, junior Meg Seybold, enjoys her school’s late start schedule as well. Unlike the RSD high schools, Seybold’s school begins an hour late every Wednesday morning throughout the year.

“In the library they set up a little cafe and sell food at a really cheap price. And it gives me more time to do homework,” she said.

These other schools have found this modified schedule beneficial and have continued to use it for years.

Although school will be starting at a later time, the class times will be shortened to allow students to be released at the normal end time, 3:05 p.m. and buses will be running at their scheduled route times. For the modified bell schedule, visit this link:

http://www.rockwood.k12.mo.us/lafayette/Pages/calendars.aspx