Lebanon School District is revising the schedule for students at all grade levels beginning with the 2024-25 academic year.
The new schedule was formally unveiled to the community at a school board committee meeting on Monday, Feb. 12, and will be discussed again by the school board at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 19, in the board room at Lebanon High School.
A premature announcement of the schedule change was leaked on social media, and some people in the community shared negative initial reactions to the change. However, district superintendent Dr. Nicole L. Malinoski said there are good reasons for the shift.
Read More: Changes to Lebanon school schedule leaked, board will discuss it next week
“With the inclusion of our new junior high building in the upcoming academic year, there have been alterations to our transportation requirements and busing routes throughout the district,” she explained in an email.
“In accordance with the Pennsylvania School Code, transportation must be provided for students residing beyond 1.5 walking miles from school for grades K-6 and beyond 2.0 walking miles for grades 7 through 12,” Malinoski said. “The relocation of our 7th and 8th grades from the town center to the high school campus necessitates the busing of students who may have previously walked to school.
“Regrettably, the adjustment in timing is necessitated by our transportation services to ensure punctuality for students utilizing district-provided transportation and those bussed to other local schools, such as the LCCTC.
“A collaborative effort, involving stakeholders such as our bus contractor, athletics department, business office, and administrators from all levels, has been dedicated to addressing this logistical challenge over the past few months. Various models were explored to resolve this matter, including discussions about changing the high school start time to 9:00 a.m. However, the most viable solution, which accommodates all our requirements, is outlined below.”
According to a schedule provided by the superintendent, the changes include shifting the elementary school schedule later by 20 minutes each day and shifting the high school schedule back by 10 minutes. The middle school will be replaced by an intermediate school and junior high – the intermediate school will begin classes 25 minutes later than the current middle school schedule, and the junior high will begin classes a full half-hour later.
“We acknowledge that this change will have an impact on our families and personnel,” Malinoski said. “Consequently, we initiated communication on this matter this month. It is imperative to note that this modification will not affect our educational programming or impede after-school or athletic activities. Our school buildings already open earlier than the official start time, enabling students to have breakfast before the commencement of the school day.”
Malinoski said the district staff was informed of the change this month, and families in the district are all receiving notifications as well.
“The early commencement of our communication initiative was deliberate, aiming to uphold transparency with all stakeholders and affording them sufficient time to prepare for the adjustments slated for the next academic year,” she said.
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