1300 Students and Their Families Have to Re-Shuffle After-School Plans
On Thursday of last week, the final day of school, the school department abruptly announced a decision to cut back the extended day hours of the Timilty Middle School and the Mario Umana Acade”€” as of this upcoming September. Both schools have had extended learning time for students for many years “€” the Timilty since 1986.

The Umana Academy, which now offers an extended day until 3:25, would now run until 2:35. The Timilty, which now runs until 4:15 four days per week, would now run until 2:45. Parents and students who had counted on the extended school day will have to quickly change plans over the summer and readjust their families’ schedules to accommodate the abrupt shift in school hours.

Here are a few points to consider as we ponder how our school system can act so cavalierly in making a decision that will impact the lives of 1,300 families.

  • During this past assignment season hundreds of parents chose each of these schools precisely for their extended day schedule. Hundreds more have opted to remain at these schools for the same reason. As of yesterday the previous, longer extended day schedule was still posted on the district website.
  • The district waited until the very last school day “€” mid-morning on a day of early dismissal no less! — to notify parents and students that their plans for school next year would be seriously disrupted. Even if all students were present in school the last day “€” and few were “€” this is hardly a sound way to give notice (see Timilty notice and Umana notice).
  • Any decision of this magnitude should have been made months ago and only after a full discussion with parents and staff. Instead this was a unilateral, top-down decision that came without warning or notice.
  • As far as the department’s not being able to afford the extended school day… this is a bogus argument. As recently as two months ago, the department proposed an extended day for the entire city–not just these two schools.
Is This Any Way to Treat Parents and Students?

Finally, a simple question: Is there any suburb that would treat its parents and students in such a disrespectful fashion?

While the BTU contract has language that will protect our members in rebuffing this hasty decision, parents and students, too, need someone to advocate for them. We will advocate for their needs as much as we can.
Regrettably this is just one more instance of the school department’s penchant for bungling a decision. In this case, real parents with real students with real lives are adversely affected.