ACCOMACK COUNTY, Va. -- The districts school board could switch the start times for elementary and secondary schools. It would move the start time for elementary schools up one hour and push high schools and middle schools back one hour.
Accomack County Schools Superintendent Dr. Rhonda Hall said studies from the CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics sparked this potential scheduling change. Those studies show older students benefit from a later start time, and vice-versa for younger students.
For a number of reasons however, parents, students and a bus driver we spoke with told us they're happy with the start time they already have.
Shawn Rogers, a senior at Arcadia High School, said he hopes their start time of 7:30 a.m. doesn't change. It allows him, and other students who work after school to put in more hours.
"If you really do the math, an hour a day, that's 30 hours depending on the month you're in, 28 hours," said Rogers. "I mean it adds up, that's about $200, $300, $400 depending on what you make around here."
This scheduling situation really began after the pandemic. All Accomack County schools used to begin at 8:00 a.m. and end at 3:00 p.m. A shortage of bus drivers forced the county to switch to a tiered run system, with high schools and middle schools starting an hour earlier than elementary schools.
Bus driver Rozlyn Phillips said she prefers it this way, because she drives for middle and high schools, so she's on the road by about 2:40 p.m.
"We just get out there, get on the road, get kids home," said Phillips. "Cars aren't cutting us off, they're not pulling in front and slamming on breaks, we're not fighting traffic."
Tyler Watkinson, who has a kid in elementary school, said it a schedule change is deemed necessary, they'll adjust.
"Right now he gets on the bus at 7:10 a.m., moving it to 6:10 a.m. would complicate issues but we'll do what we have to do to make it work for the kids," said Watkinson.
If the schedules do end up getting flip-flopped, it would not go into effect until next school year.
