Charlotte County school district adds 30 minutes to school day

Charlotte County public school students will be ringing in the 2019 school year with a new bell schedule.

The School District of Charlotte County is adding an additional 30 minutes to the day.

Parents like Chris Taylor are supportive of the measure.

“Less time them being home and being on videos and doing stuff they don’t need to be doing,” Taylor said.

His son is a freshman at Port Charlotte High School.

Right now, the first bell rings at 7:25 a.m., which students like Ethan Dill said is early enough.

“Half hour earlier would be more inconvenient, definitely,” Dill said. “It would be better getting out a half hour later. I wouldn’t mind.”

The School District of Charlotte County said the extra half hour is to give teachers and students more time to keep up and prepare for state testing. It is likely that schools will start 15 minutes earlier and end 15 minutes later.

The adjustment to the school hours comes after voters approved a tax increase in November. Money generated from it will help fund the extra 30 minutes of learning time while also giving teachers a raise.

“From kindergarten to 12th grade, it will give them an additional year of academics,” said Mike Riley, Charlotte County Public Schools community liaison. “That’s a big deal.”