School Bell Schedules and High School Games

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Oct 4, 2011
663
0
Colorado
DFP is such an amazing resource and we all come from diverse backgrounds all over the country. I love the sounding board that DFP provides.

Here's the background: our school district wants to change the high school day from 7:30-3 to 9-4:30.

My concern to the district has been athletic schedules. None of our area fields have lights, so I'm not sure how all that will work out aside from kids missing a lot of school and/or scheduling double headers on Saturdays.

What are your high school bell schedules, and when are high school games scheduled?
 
Jul 19, 2014
2,390
48
Madison, WI
I think my kids would like a later day. The school schedule seems to be based on what is best for running the buses, not what is best for the kids.

So, the middle schools are about 7:30 to 2:30, the high schools are 8:30 to 3:30, so they can use the same buses for both.

When DD 1 was a 6th grader, they tried an experiment, since DD 1, 2, and 3 all went to a magnet school, a lot further away than the local MS. They had the kids from that MS ride the same buses as the HS kids at the same time, but just have the buses stop by the HS before going to the MS. The problem was, now you have 6th graders and 12th graders riding the same buses, which didn't work out very well. Now they have 'special' buses, which seem to be shared with grade schools rather than HS, so they have to start at 7:30 again so they can use the buses for elementary schools that start 8:30.

All of my DDs really hated getting up so early for the bus. Not to mention they have to walk a longer way, since it is a different bus route. On these cold winter mornings (-6 the past couple of days) that can be brutal, especially when it is dark outside. Good news: the school district will now cancel classes when the wind chill is -25. They used to only cancel if the wind chill was -35, then they noticed the kids riding the buses were skipping school when then wind chill was between -25 and -35.
 
Aug 26, 2011
1,285
0
Houston, Texas
Our district sets up the schedules based on using buses efficiently. Elementary: 8 -3; Middle School: 9-4; High School: 7-2 so that the same bus runs same route 3 times. Anyway, 7th period is most often athletics for all outdoor sports. DD's softball starts at 1, and during season, they are practicing from 1 - 4:30 or so. Varsity games are usually 6 - 7 p.m. We have lights though.

I know for sure my HS kids would LOVE a 9-4 schedule! This year, DD has late arrival...she has enough HS credits to graduate 2017 with a distinguished diploma and to drop a period...so she doesn't have a 1st period. Imagine that though...they go straight from 9-4 schedule in middle school to 7-2. Ouch.
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
DFP is such an amazing resource and we all come from diverse backgrounds all over the country. I love the sounding board that DFP provides.

Here's the background: our school district wants to change the high school day from 7:30-3 to 9-4:30.

My concern to the district has been athletic schedules. None of our area fields have lights, so I'm not sure how all that will work out aside from kids missing a lot of school and/or scheduling double headers on Saturdays.

What are your high school bell schedules, and when are high school games scheduled?

Not having lights presents a big problem....softball is a Fall sport in GA. A JV game followed by V is common, creating a double header, and the second game may need lights for the last 2-3 innings. Our season is Aug-Oct, so it is nice that our entire season is played before daylight savings time ends.
 
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Jul 19, 2014
2,390
48
Madison, WI
No lights at the HS fields here, shared by two high school SB teams AND the West Madison Little League softball program. No scoreboard either. Well, the Varsity field has a fence!
 
Jul 19, 2014
2,390
48
Madison, WI
Sounds like a good reason to start a fundraiser!

Actually, the West Madison LL did start a fundraiser, mostly for baseball but also for softball.

Among the goals are scoreboards, and a bullpen for pitchers to warm up (at least on Varsity). I can't remember if lights and a fence are included.
 
Oct 4, 2011
663
0
Colorado
Thanks for the responses so far - I've implored the district to consider lights for the softball and baseball fields, especially since our district just passed a massive bond initiative for construction. It's amazing how much red tape is involved. We can't put lights on our own school's fields because of equity - if everyone can't have lights then nobody can.

Colorado's season is also August - October. The JV team gets in maybe 3 three innings after Varsity plays if they're lucky. Lights would be amazing.

Maksoftball - that's interesting about 7th being for athletics and outdoor sports. I think our district is considering something like this to accommodate game schedules.
 
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