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Cassell school hours changed ... again
Submitted by Michael Fielding on Sun, 08/23/2009 - 3:57pm.
Late last week parents of Cassell School students were fuming over a last-minute change in the school start time – announced by Chicago Public Schools (CPS) just three weeks before the first day of classes, Sept. 8. But they were notified Friday afternoon that the start time had been moved back to 8:15 a.m., according to the school.
Assistant Principal Eileen Scanlan notified parents Friday that students are now scheduled to line up at 8:10 a.m. with an 8:15 a.m. start time. Dismissal is scheduled for 2 p.m.
CPS was planning to push back the start time by 20 minutes, with students lining up at 9:10 a.m. and start at 9:15 a.m. The new dismissal was scheduled for 3 p.m.
The school year begins Tuesday, Sept. 8.
"We apologize for any confusion or hardship the change of our school hours may cause you and your family. The need for the time change has resulted from the Chicago Board of Education’s attempt to provide greater efficiencies in student transportation that would thereby redirect cost savings to further support educational initiatives," she said in an e-mail to parents.
Neither she nor Principal Denise Esposito responded to phone and e-mail messages from the Southwest Observer. "We understand many are frustrated by this directive, since we have a small percentage of our population that participates in the program. However, at this time, all measures are needed to provide greater monetary efficiencies given the districts current struggle with resources."
The earlier start is designed to eliminate the need for before-school care for families; allows for students to participate in extra curricular activities at local parks; and aligns the school hours of both Cassell and Mt. Greenwood School to allow teachers to participate in professional development activities under the partnership grant the schools have been awarded for the upcoming school year.
The later start time was supposed to be a cost-saving measure to consolidate the bus routes that serve fewer than two dozen of the school’s 320 students.
But many parents, concerned that the later start time would make it difficult for them to safely drop off their children and still make it to their own jobs by 9 a.m., raised concerns last week with both the school and CPS.
Registration will be held from 10 a.m. to noon and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 26 as well as from 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 27.
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