LARRY MUSSOLINE, PH.D, SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS

JEFFREY SIMMONS, TRANSPORTATION SUPERVISOR

Altering Secondary and Elementary Start and End Times & Two-Tiered

Busing Rationale: 2014-15

The Educational Proposal

6:48

6:45 6:45

6:35 6:35 6:35

6:30 6:30 6:30 6:30

6:25

6:15

5:52

6:00

6:07

6:14

6:21

6:28

6:36

6:43

6:50

6:57

District Elementary Program Total Engaged Time 2013-14

Elementary Program Instructional Time Changes

Current length of overall day = 6 hours & 25 minutes

Proposed length of overall day = 6 hours & 40 minutes

Teacher work day under both scenarios = 7 hours & 30 minutes

Current Elementary Program = K-5 8:15 am teachers arrive —8:55 am until 3:20 pm Student Day (6:25)----3:45 pm teachers depart

Proposal for 2014-15 Elementary Program = K-6 8:20 am teachers arrive —8:50 am until 3:30 pm Student Day (6:40)--3:50 pm teachers depart

Current High School Program = 9-12 7:15 am teachers arrive —7:25 am until 2:25pm Student Day (7:00)----2:45 pm teachers depart

Middle School Program = 6-8 7:30 am teachers arrive —7:50 am until 2:46 pm Student Day (6:56)----3:00 teachers depart

Proposal for 2014-15 Secondary Program = 7-12 7:25 am Teachers Arrive —7:40 am until 2:40 pm Student Day (7:00)--2:55 pm teachers depart

Time Change Proposals

Educational Rationale for the Time Change in 2014-15

1. As per a previous slide, DASD’s elementary program is one of the shortest elementary programs in terms of engaged time in Chester County.

2. The onset of the 6th center program in 2014-15 located on an elementary

school site requires time schedules to be more congruent for bussing and sharing teachers in order to create organizational efficiencies related to costs and time.

3. The elementary program will align to the secondary program having a 6-

day cycle schedule starting in 2014-15 again for organizational efficiencies related to staffing and costs.

4. The World Language encore will begin as the 6th encore for all (K-5) elementary students in 2014-15 thus creating a 6-day cycle for the elementary program. 6-day cycle alignment is key for staffing.

Educational Rationale for the Time Change in 2014-15

5. While all current encore (5-day cycle) subjects meet 36 times for 45 minutes during the school year, the proposal going to a 6-day cycle & the time change will allow for 30 meetings for 50 minutes per encore subject. 1. The net loss of instructional minutes for all encore subjects will now

be 120 minutes rather than 270 minutes. (ex. - 150 minutes gained adding 5 minutes on to 30 encore periods and then subtracting the 270 minute loss of 6 meeting dates)

6. Beginning the secondary day 15 minutes later, especially for high school

students will assist a bit with older adolescent sleep patterns.

7. Beginning the secondary day 15 minutes later will assist in winter daylight issues with bus stop pickups.

8. While the teacher contractual day remains the same for all teachers, the middle level day will actually pick up 4 additional minutes in the student day. Positive for Wed PD days.

Organizational Rationale for the Two-Tiered Busing Proposal 2014-15

9. We believe the creation of a two-tiered bussing system will provide organizational efficiencies by transporting K-6 students together and 7-12 students together.

10. We were told in December of 2010 when the decision was made to

create a 6th center at Shamona Creek that between 8 to even 20 new bus runs would be needed to transport 6th graders from all attendance areas to this site in a timely manor. We believe this proposal mitigates the need for excessive transportation budgetary increases because of the efficiencies in groupings of students now available as a result of the two-tiered system.

11. We will be alleviating traffic issues around all townships by not running

busses at six (6) different AM and PM times each day for 180 days. Traffic will be reduced to four runs.

.

Organizational Rationale for the Two-Tiered Busing Proposal 2014-15

12. Older siblings will still be able to arrive home before the younger siblings in the K-6 program.

13. A two tiered schedule now clearly aligns teacher staffing to

share teachers between our K-6 programs and our 7-12 programs much more easily.

14. The Wednesday professional development schedule will

improve because we will move to a two-tiered system of 7-12 meetings followed by K-6 meetings rather than a three-tired system of meeting with our staff on these very important days.

Time Line for Initiative

1. July 2013 – Review elementary time compared with Chester County and CBA review

2. August 21, 2013 – Meet with DAEA leadership to explain our proposal

3. September 3, 2013 – Explain the proposal to the Board (most board members attended) and entire Curriculum Council at a public BCC meeting.

4. October 1, 2013 – Reiterate the finalized proposal to Board and BCC

5. October 2, 2013 – Present proposal to full board at public work session asking for review and questions.

6. October 2, 2013 through final vote – Respond to questions. 7. December 2, 2013 – Bussing mock up analysis of cost for 6th center

and two-tiered schedule 8. Vote on this proposal on January 8, 2014 or February 13, 2014.

Transportation Report on the 2014 – 2015 Proposed

Changes

Transportation Information (Current Day)

183 School Buses/Vans

3 Bus Contractors Eagle-Wolfington Leasing

Krapf Bus Company

On The Go Kids

15 Public Schools

34 Private Schools

4 Charter Schools

38 Special Programs

162 Bell Times Per Day

Breakdown of Fleet (approx.)

103 Buses – Public

40 Buses – Private/Charter

40 Buses – Special Programs

Two Tier Public Bell Schedule (Proposed for 2014-2015)

Bell Times Present Day

High School

7:25AM to 2:25PM

Middle School

7:55AM to 2:46PM

Elementary

8:55AM to 3:20PM

Bell Times 2014-2015

High School

7:40AM to 2:40PM

Middle School

7:40AM to 2:40PM

Elementary

8:50AM to 3:30PM

Sixth Grade Center

8:50AM to 3:30PM

Two Tier Public Bell Schedule (Proposed for 2014-2015)

Factors:

Addition of the Sixth Grade Center

31 Bus Routes AM & PM (includes buses with Shamona Creek Elementary)

Combination of Grades 7 through 12 on same bus runs

Given challenges:

Private and Charter School Runs / Start & End Times

Special Programs / Start & End Times

Least amount of increase in vehicles

Maintaining manageable capacities on vehicles

Reasonable ride times to and from school

Shape and size of the district (82 square miles – hour glass shape)

Busing Plan Comparison Buses*

Current Year 3 Tier Bussing

2014-15 Proposed Bell

changes 2 Tier

Bussing Sixth Grade Ctr.

2014-15 No Bell Schedule

change 3 Tier

Bussing Sixth Grade Ctr.

Public 103 112 116

Private / Charter

40 41 47

Special Programs

40 40 40

Total 183 193 203

Increase ----- +10 +20 *Approximate

AVERAGE RIDE TIMES w/ Bell Schedule Changes in 14-15

Building 2013-2014 2014-2015

DHSE 29 35

DHSW 38 45

DMS 40 --

LMS 44 --

STEM 48 48

SIXTH GRADE CTR. -- 49

BC 45 36

BH 35 35

BW 33 29

EW 25 25

LE 34 31

PV 28 25

SC 28 --

SM 37 35

UH 22 19

WB 36 29

AVERAGE LOAD COUNTS w/ Bell Schedule Changes in 14-15

Building 2013-2014 2014-2015

DHSE 57 53

DHSW 59 50

DMS 42 --

LMS 52 --

STEM 32 32

SIXTH GRADE CTR. 47

BC 50 49

BH 50 54

BW 47 44

EW 51 58

LE 55 51

PV 48 49

SC 42 --

SM 47 49

UH 54 54

WB 55 51