After complaints from parents about the bell schedule the Pulaski County Special School District is re-thinking it. As it stands
class starts at 8:30 and ends at 4:00 for elementary students.
Parents say the new schedule is not providing more instructional time as promised but it is costing the taxpayers more money.
Before school started the district put this issue to rest but that's all changing.
While there are some parents who love the new bell schedule, there are many who don't and they are making it known to the Pulaski County School District.
A huge complaint is over what their children are doing the hour before school starts, the extra money they say this new schedule is costing, and just the sheer inconvenience of it.
When Tabitha Risk learned her daughter's elementary school would start class an hour later than last year, she had some concerns about dropping her off ahead of the starting bell.
"Dr. Hopson and the board came out and said for them to do enrichment activities such as art, what they're doing is watching cartoons or playing outside," says Tabitha Risk.
It's not what Risk had in mind at all. She claims her concerns aren't being addressed by the Pulaski County Special School District.
Monday Superintendent Charles Hopson addressed parents' concerns.
"I think the first two days of school, I think it's unfair to think those things would be developed that early. People were probably being creative just trying to calm students," says Hopson.
Risk also takes issue with spending in the neighborhood of $400,000 to pay teachers to be on duty before class starts and to provide snacks at the end of the day.
"I am very very frustrated, extremely frustrated, not only as a parent but just as a taxpayer. I think what people need to realize is somebody is going to foot the bill for this and it's going to be us," says Risk.
"When you factor into the overall budget it's a very small amount," says Hopson.
Hopson is taking parents concerns about the bell schedule under consideration and seeking more input from parents. More changes could come.
"I just really apologize to so many of our patrons who have been inconvenienced by what is a decision that was intended to be good for students," says Hopson.
"I don't think that's acceptable. I think all those questions are questions that should have been answered before we made the switch," says Risk.
The
board announced August 10th it would change the bell schedule throughout the district.
School started just over a week later on the 19th. The superintendent says he is re-assessing the bell schedule.
