Rochester School Board accelerates schedule for implementing bell time changes

The Rochester School Board voted unanimously Tuesday to speed up changes to school start times, citing feedback from parents.

The amendment to the original plan means the revised bell times will take effect for the 2021-22 school year, rather than 2022-23, as originally adopted by the board in November.

As a result of the action Tuesday, secondary students (middle and high schoolers) will start school at 8:20 a.m. next year, 40 minutes later than the pre-pandemic schedule. Elementary schoolers will have their start times pushed back an extra 20 minutes, from the current 9:15 a.m. to 9:35 a.m.

The amendment to expedite the changes came from newly-elected Board Member Karen MacLaughlin. She and other School Board members said they had heard from a “large number of parents” who wanted to see the changes implemented next fall, rather than waiting a full year.

MacLaughlin also said implementing the new bell times next year will provide consistency for secondary students, in particular, given that they have already been operating under later start times this current school year as a result of the district’s distance learning model.

“This has been something that has been really, really desired by our community for a long period of time, and I just think the sooner the better,” said MacLaughlin.

The adjusted timeline falls in line with what was originally recommended by district administration last fall.

You can read our original report on this topic here.

Sean Baker is a Rochester journalist and the founder of Med City Beat.