Momentum is building for late-start days in District 300

The proposal to turn monthly early dismissal days into late-start days is picking up steam in Du Quoin Unit District 300.

But despite hearing positive comments at this year's School Improvement Focus Group meeting, Superintendent Matt Hickam said he's not ready to pull the trigger on implementing it next year until he's heard from more parents whose children ride the bus to school.

Currently, the monthly "Data Days" involve hourlong staff meetings that begin at 2 p.m. The problem, Hickam said, is that kids who are involved in sports or other after-school events are forced to sit around for an hour until their coaches or teachers are out of the meeting and ready to go.

"They have an hour or hour-plus to kill, and they aren't really supposed to be in school because there is nobody to supervise them," Hickam said.

Hickam has proposed that on Data Days, school would start an hour later, or about 9 a.m., and the staff meetings would begin at 8 a.m.

Breakfast would still be served, and the school would be open at the usual time with staff on hand, for children whose parents have to drop them off.

The next step, Hickam said, is to reach out to more bus riders and see what the district can do to make the late start days more palatable. The concern is for children who might be left outside for an hour waiting for the bus, as their parents have to go to work.

Hickam said the district could, for example, run an early bus around the district on those days picking up those children.

The superintendent said the earlier email survey he sent to parents did not get a lot from response from bus families, so he will target a message just to them.

If approved, the late-start days would start in the 2020-21 year.