Greenbelt Middle School parents divided on later start time

WASHINGTON – Parents and teachers alike complain: School buses arrive late too often and that means kids are late for class as well.

Prince George’s County Public Schools next year will test a later school starting time.

In fall Greenbelt Middle School will start classes at 9 a.m. — 45 minutes later than usual. That means the school day will end at 4:20 p.m.

Parents in favor of the idea say it will be good for middle school students to sleep in. But the Gazette reports other parents worry about the impact on after school activities and students stepping off the bus after 5 p.m.

Prince George’s County has more than 100,000 students. Schools with frequent late arrivals have been targeted for the change.

The school system lists the new school start times on its website.

WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report. Follow @KateRyanWTOP and @WTOP on Twitter.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up