District to change elementary start time
By RODNEY MINOR, The Leader-HeraldGLOVERSVILLE - Elementary pupils in the Gloversville Enlarged School District will be able to sleep a little longer this coming school year, because the start of their school day will be pushed back.
Superintendent Robert DeLilli informed the Board of Education at its meeting Monday elementary pupils will start their day sometime after 8:30 a.m., the time classes started last school year.
On Tuesday, DeLilli said the school day for elementary pupils will begin between 8:30 and 9 a.m., although the exact time has not been decided.
"There are some details that need to be worked out still," he said.
The collective bargaining agreement the school district has with its teachers has certain requirements that need to be taken into account before a time can be decided upon, DeLilli said.
The idea was carried over from budget sessions conducted by the school district in April when it was determining how it could trim its budget, he said. It was not highly thought of until the school district's director of operations, Bill Ferguson, began looking into how much money could be saved.
Ferguson could not be reached for comment.
"Tens of thousands of dollars" would be saved every school year by delaying the start of elementary school, DeLilli said.
A later start time will allow the school district to transport its students to classes more
efficiently, DeLilli said. Pushing back the start time means more buses transporting high school and middle school pupils, whose day starts at approximately 7:45 a.m., will be able to drop off the older pupils and head back out to pick up elementary kids.
In addition to reducing the number of buses on the road for morning pickup, DeLilli said, at least one driver will have time to transport special education pupils as far as Albany. That will save the school district some money because it is a service it has had to contract out for in the past, he said.
In light of the potential savings, DeLilli stressed the need for the school district's bus referendum to be passed.
The school district has a proposed bond of $190,000 up for vote Aug. 18 to be used for the purchase of new school buses and transportation vehicles.
Since voters declined to approve the bond in May by a vote of 876-728, school district officials have been urging people to vote in favor of the next referendum because the state will reimburse 90 percent of the cost for vehicles purchased with the bond.
The money could be used to acquire a new van that would help the school district transport its special education pupils outside of its area.
While a large bus could be used to transport the special education pupils who need to go as far as Albany, DeLilli said, it would cost a lot more than it has to.
DeLilli said the elementary pupils will not spend less time in class despite starting later in the day.
At the meeting Monday, a number of board members said they were pleased with the idea.
Board member E. Lynn Brown said reducing transportation costs often has been discussed in the school district, and it was excellent to see the administrative staff "thinking outside of the box."
Board member Harry Wiggins anticipates some negative comments accompanying the later start to the school day, but is not concerned.
"People cannot see past their own little world sometimes," he said.
Rodney Minor covers Gloversville. He can be reached at gloversville@leaderherald.com.
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Onesies
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07-23-08 4:21 PM
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Seriously. I was trying to protect them, that could be a very offensive comment to them. FCjobs needs to be more considerate
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Wilkie
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07-23-08 4:17 PM
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Yes Onesies....that was rude and inappropriate of FCjobs to bash the special ed students like that in his/her post! Let's just hope that teebzz and zeus don't see it.
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Onesies
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07-23-08 4:04 PM
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FCJobs, you gotta be kiddin me. Youd rather the special ed kids not have a place to go than waste a trip to Albany everyday?? Im blinded by your ignorance right now. And "you couldnt find your way in a big city like Albany"?? Take the number of teeth in your mouth and multiply them by 20, and thats how many miles away from Albany you are (that would be 40) I bet your computer plays "Dualing Banjos" every time you type
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swilliams
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07-23-08 4:02 PM
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Toxic.... I thought the article was comprehensive (given that the school doesn't even have all of the answers yet) and had a point. Maybe you would have been happier if they hadn't reported it yet...then everyone could complain that another paper covered it. I think you're allowed to have your own blog on the LH site. Share your greatness.
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sbdknitter
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07-23-08 3:50 PM
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I applaud the district's efforts to streamline transportation and take back the Albany runs. A few details that should be clarified--what about sports trips and the need for substitute drivers then? Will regular route drivers still get the trip or will they be assigned to do their regular route if it conflicts with a trip and have substitutes take the trip? Buses that normally would make one bus run in the afternoon will make two runs. How much more time will that add to the drivers' day and pay? What will the difference in fuel usage be? Where will the district be able to make cuts to make up for more fuel being used? Will routing be efficient so that buses will not have what people perceive as 3/4 empty buses overlapping runs on city streets? Will parents be notified what the new pick up times will be for their students or will they just have to wait outside as in past years?
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Wilkie
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07-23-08 3:30 PM
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I wish that when BOE members post comments they ID themselves as BOE members.
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Onesies
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07-23-08 3:25 PM
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Wow Toxic, that was awfully rude of you. Why dont you write some articles if youre such an expert. Sorry their work isnt up to your standards
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ToxicAvngr
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07-23-08 3:20 PM
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Editor, please give some thought to hiring real journalists. Just once I'd like to read a comprehensive, coherent story with a point.
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positivethinker
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07-23-08 2:56 PM
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the busses already make seperate trips for elementary and middle/high school students. I have children that were in elem. and ms/hs last couple years and the busses are too full in the morning to put them all on at once. I imagine it is cheaper to do two trips than hire twice as many drivers and have twice as many busses to do them all at once.
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morningstar
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07-23-08 2:54 PM
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I have to wonder if the LH has all of the right information, since it is clear that they haven't worked out the details yet. The one thing I did get from this article is that the whole reason they looked at timing was so they could save money with transportation.
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morningstar
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07-23-08 2:50 PM
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They don't pick them up, they bring our students there for school because we don't have a program for their needs. It would take an enormous amount of resources to provide school for these kids, so they transport them to where there is already a program in place that fits their needs. It is a law to provide public education for all students, no matter their needs. If a school district can, they implement programs at their own school because that is the least expensive way to do it, but it's not always possible.
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gettinwhilethegettinsgood
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07-23-08 2:40 PM
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So instead of picking up all of the kids at the same time and in route they are going to send the buses back out quite possibly over the same route to pick up the elementary students. Were gas prices taken into account at all?
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FCjobs
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07-23-08 2:30 PM
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How about we stop picking up the special ed students in albany? That's way out of "my little world" - I would get lost if I tried to find my way to a big city like that.
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morningstar
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07-23-08 2:27 PM
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Probably, if they're not in school any less. The afternoon would absolutely be helpful for us as a family. Many families who work shifts until three may be able to avoid afternoon daycare costs this way. I hope the public and staff are supportive of this.
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IKnooow
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07-23-08 2:24 PM
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Actually I think its a great idea. Does it mean dismissal gets pushed back too?
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