Local & State Headlines

Dougherty BOE shelves start times discussion

• The school day starts earlier for elementary students and ends later for middle and high school students under a proposed change.

Susan McCord

ALBANY — An action tabled by the Dougherty County Board of Education Monday would bring elementary-age students to school a half-hour earlier.

One of two transportation measured tabled during the regular school board meeting, proposed “tiered start times” would put elementary grades on buses that arrive at school at 7:30 a.m., with school to begin at 8 a.m. and end at 2:30 p.m., according to a board handout.

The changes are “a process that could work for us, but could also make it easier for teachers and students,” Superintendent Sally Whatley said.

“We’re trying to listen to everybody,” she said.

Board member David Maschke said he was compiling public comments on the changes.

The system’s middle and high school grades would board buses that arrive at schools at 8:10 a.m., 30 minutes before school begins at 8:40 a.m.

While the proposed elementary school day would end 15 minutes earlier than it does now, the proposed middle and high school days would end a little later, each at 3:40 p.m.

System business and operations director Robert Lloyd said last month that the change would make the system’s transportation department more efficient.

Elementary school students also would ride different buses than older students under the new system, schools spokesman R.D. Harder said.

The board agreed to table action on the policy until its next meeting, scheduled for 12:30 p.m. April 30.

Also tabled was a revised transportation policy and procedures manual with 121 sections.

“We tried not to reinvent the wheel,” Whatley said.

Board member Richard Anson questioned a policy advising bus drivers, instead of a school principal, to contact parents if a problem arises.

In other business, three winners of Keep Albany- Dougherty Beautiful’s phone book collection project — Magnolia, Live Oak and Lincoln elementary schools — were honored.

The three schools collected more than 49,000 phone books for recycling, the most ever, KADB’s Judy Bowles said.

Albany attorney James Finkelstein asked the board to “make it a policy” that each high school organize a mock trial team.

Only Albany High School, coached by a local district attorney, has had a team in the last 10 years, he said.

“You won’t have any problem getting attorneys to coach,” he said.

Whatley said Albany High School’s new Center of Excellence might be a good location for a team.

A study committee will make recommendations for staff, curriculum, design and other considerations for Early College, a new collaboration between Dougherty schools and Albany State University, coordinator Robert Youngblood said.

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