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Thousands of Durham District School Board (DDSB) kids and their parents will face a new schedule in September.
A decision made late on Monday by the Durham Trustees Board has put through a plan to avoid a projected $1.2-million increase in school bus costs needed to transport an additional 600 students in the fall.
The move, which would take effect in September, will see bus pickup times and class start times change anywhere from five to 45 minutes for 28 schools.
The new plan has 18 schools changing start times by 10 minutes, with six between 15 and 25 minutes, and four others in Ajax, Uxbridge and Whitby, altering their start times by 30 to 45 minutes.
The redrawn schedule means many students and parents will have to face the prospect of having to wake up earlier, or leave later.
“It feels so bad, I can barely wake up to come at 8:35,” said one Pickering High School student who is seeing her classes bumped up by 20 minutes to 8:15 a.m. this coming fall.
Lisa Denington is a mother facing two sides of the coin with a teenage son in high school who will need to get up earlier beginning in the fall, and a daughter who will be attending an elementary school with a later start time.
“I can’t wait until nine o’clock,” Denington told Global News’ Cindy Pom. “What am I gonna do? Start work at 11 in the city?”
Denington went on to say the changes will likely mean higher daycare costs.
Durham District School Board Chair Michael Barrett says he empathizes with the parents and that it was a tough decision.
“A decision like this is never easy for a board of trustees,” said Barrett after the board meeting, “The reality is we know that every single individual is not leaving totally satisfied with the decisions we’re making.”
The “School Bell Time Review” was presented to the DDSB in late January and followed up by three open house consultations in February. The adapted schedule changes from Monday night’s vote can be seen in the original review document, seen here.
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