BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WECT) - The Brunswick County School System is going back to a staggered bell schedule next school year, one year after backing off the plan after parents protested.
The board of education made the decision in a budget workshop Tuesday afternoon, saying a major factor in this move was being able to afford the changes made to strengthen security in the school system after the shootings at Sandy Hook elementary in Connecticut last December.
The cost savings will help pay for school resource officers in every elementary school, extra cameras and electronic door locks. The SROs will cost $497,000 annually, according to the school board.
By using the staggered schedule, the school system will be able to save about a million dollars in transportation costs.
The board still needs to decide how the staggered bell schedule will operate. Board members plan to survey parents and staff members on preferred starting options.
There are currently two options:
Option 1:
Elementary Bell Times 7:50 a.m. to 2:50 p.m.
High School Bell Times 8:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
Middle School Bell Times 8:50 a.m. to 3:50 p.m.
Option 2:
High School Bell Times 7:50 a.m. to 2:50 p.m.
Middle School Bell Times 7:55 a.m. to 2:55 p.m.
Elementary Bell Times 8:50 a.m. to 3:50 p.m.
The board hopes to make a final decision on the schedule this May.
This isn't the first time Brunswick County has gone down this road. The board of education went to a staggered schedule for the 2011-12 school year, but reversed the move after parents protested.
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