Trustees Debate Starting, Ending Times for Schools

The controversial question of whether starting and ending times should be rotated in the interest of fairness among 137 of the 152 schools of the San Diego Unified School District came before trustees Tuesday in the first of several public hearings.

Schools Supt. Tom Payzant proposes rotating times every three years to allow all schools periodically to have desired early starting and ending times.

Because the district has a plethora of special integration and special education programs that result in bus transportation of students all over the city, schools now must start and stop at different times based on the limited number of buses available to deliver students at any given starting times. They range from 7 a.m to 9 a.m.

Payzant’s proposal would keep all senior highs on a uniform 7:30 a.m. starting time because of afternoon athletic schedules. But the rotations proposed for every other school encountered rough sailing during initial public testimony Tuesday.

Several parents complained of the difficulty in rearranging child care and car pools every three years. Teachers and parents at the School of Creative and Performing Arts--a grade four-through-12 facility--said its placement with elementary schools on a rotating schedule would wreak havoc with after-school rehearsals during the years it would be on a late schedule.

Trustees will continue with public hearings April 17.