Parents Protest New School Hours and Seek Petition Signatures

Attleboro school parents have joined together to ask the Attleboro School district change the start and end of school in the district's elementary schools.

"I'm writing this email to ask for your help. After speaking to many other parents in our town, we think the new school hours are having a negative effect on our children," said Leanne Isabella, a parent in a blast email to parents. "They are in school too long and are getting home way too late. If you agree and would like to see the school hours go back to the way they were last year (8:40-3:00) please consider adding your name to the petition that has been started. "If we work together we may be able to improve our children’s school day."

Isabella said she and another parent Laurie Brewster created a petition to present to the Attleboro School Committee during its regulary scheduled meeting Monday, Dec. 12. Isabella said she and Brewster created the petition after parents shared their thoughts on the change in hours from the school start time of 8:40 to 8:50 a.m. and end time from 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

"We just hope that parents speaking out about it that the school committee will become aware with how unhappy we are with the school hours and the negative effect on the children," she said. "For instance, they don't have time for extracurricular activities and it's putting a strain on family time.

"I've heard (parents say) that kids are exhausted because they are getting home later and are in school longer than what they are use to," she added. "We just want them to be aware of that."

Some parents have also complained to Isabella that the change in time makes it more difficult for them to get to work in time.

The parents tried leaving a copy of the peition at the for people to sign, but were told they could not do that. So, the group has formed an online petition: http://www.change.org/petitions/attleboro-public-schools-to-change-the-current-hours-of-the-elementary-school-day-back-to-840-300