Earlier start times for Bend-La Pine elementary schools raise concerns for some parents
'It's stressful,' one parent says
(Update: Adding video, comments from Bend-La Pine parent)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Elementary school students in the Bend-La Pine Schools again will be starting school earlier than middle and high schoolers this fall -- and this year, a bit earlier than before, prompting issues for some parents trying to coordinate schedules.
Kinzi Olivier will take her son, Skyler, to kindergarten at Lava Ridge Elementary School for the first time this fall.
She’s worried about the challenges an early start could bring for parents.
"I don't think a lot of people take it into consideration but, it's a pretty big problem,” Olivier said Friday.
Other kindergartners were getting practice riding the school bus Friday at a "Winnie the Pooh" event.
However, Olivier is less worried about her son riding the bus, and more about getting him there.
"Kids are all dependent on their parents, and it's exhausting for the parents to get up that early and then get everything managed -- yeah, it's rough,” Olivier said.
The start/end times for majority of elementary schools are 7:40 a.m. to 2:10 p.m., middle schools: 9:15 a.m. to 4:10 p.m., and high schools: 8:25 a.m. to 3:25 p.m. The full individual start/stop times can be found here.
"I'd have to get off at 2:40, in order to take care of my kid,” Olivier said.
A few years back, elementary school start times were 9 a.m., with middle and high schools closer to 8 a.m. But in 2019, the school district switched the order, citing health benefits for teens who start school later, and young children earlier.
After a year of COVID-19 changes and online classes, the schedule for this year is a similar format, but with even earlier start times for elementary schools.
Alandra Johnson, communications director with Bend-La Pine Schools, tells NewsChannel 21 there was no one reason for the tweaked schedule, and that these were simply the times they decided on. They had no further comment.
Olivier said she understands the reasoning for the initial switch, but added that with a full-time job, another child in day care and after-school programs seemingly full, the time change makes things difficult.
"It's stressful,” Olivier said. “My parents live out in Sisters, so it's hard to drive all the way to Sisters and then back, just so I could have some help to get kids to and from school, because my work starts at this time or ends at this time -- and then I can't take or pick up my kids."
