PORT ANGELES — Some parents are outraged at the school district’s plan for a late starting time one day each week.
“I am concerned about kids missing instructional time — it adds up over time,” said Vicki Helwick, mother of a first-grader and third-grader. “Our kids are losing so much instructional time with late-start and the five-day decrease to the calendar.”
The reaction came as a letter started arriving at students’ homes explaining the late start scheduled district-wide on Wednesdays starting this fall.
Some parents plan to bring their concerns to the School Boardat its meeting tonight.
Parents say starting school 1 hour later on Wednesdays will result in lost instructional time, cause parents to lose income or pay additional daycare fees and could cause children to be left unsupervised.
“Late-start will result in a loss of wages because we cannot afford any additional daycare,” said Nan Furford, the mother of a second-grader and ninth-grader.
“I also don’t understand how they can keep taking time away from school. It isn’t good for the kids.”
Furford said she plans to attend the School Board meeting today to protest the decision, and she is not alone.
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