| Updated: 8/19/2010 6:54 pm |
Published: 8/19/2010 1:54 pm |
It's back to school across Arkansas for 450,000 public school students. Middle and high school students in the Pulaski County Special School District had to show up a little earlier to beat the tardy bell. They reported to class at 7:30 instead of 8:30.
Anticipation of the earlier start time left some students and parents upset. But, they managed to get into the swing of things.
Rise and shine! It's the first day of school for students across the state. In the Pulaski County Special School District, the buses rolled in to Maumelle Middle School and parents dropped off their children bright and early.
Class start at 7:30 that's an hour earlier than last year, but some didn't seem to mind.
Some girls got here in time enough to snap a few pictures.
"Very exciting because I'm starting a new school year and I get to go to a great school," says Whitney Warren.
The school board has changed start times twice in recent weeks creating a burden for some parents and students.
"I don't like getting up that early in the morning," says Kaitlin Cummings.
Others think it's great.
"I think it's going to work good because my daughter rides the bus as well so she'll get home earlier," says mom Megan Warren.
"I'm good with it, it's going to help me get to work easier," says dad John Paul Rutledge.
At Maumelle Middle School the bell is supposed to ring at 7:30 but there were still a lot of people in the line around 7:32 a.m. So there were a lot of people not in tune with the new bell schedule.
Teachers passed out schedules, helped with lockers and welcomed students to class. They worked hard to make students feel comfortable.
"Middle school is a big experience for a lot of students coming in here. We receive our students with as much love and care as possible," says John Pearce.
Just for today a little tardiness was allowed, but soon things will run by the book.
According to the superintendent they changed the bell schedule to give teachers more planning time during the day and to allow high school students with jobs to get out earlier.
