Changes to School Time Next School Year

Dear Parents, Students, and Staff,

I am excited to share with you some positive changes that we will be implementing in our schools for the upcoming academic year. As part of our efforts to provide high-quality education and a consistent experience for all students, we will be establishing standard start and end times for all schools in the DoDEA Europe South District for School Year (SY) 2024-2025. School start and end times will be 0800-1440 for Secondary Schools (Middle, Middle High, and High Schools) and 0805-1435 for Elementary Schools (Elementary, Elementary Middle, and Elementary High Schools).

Also, starting in School Year 2024-2025, we will move early release days from Thursday to Wednesday. Schools will release 60 minutes (1 hour) earlier on Wednesdays. This change will allow for better schedule alignment across all schools and provide a more consistent and structured routine across the schools and district.

We have taken a thoughtful approach to aligning elementary and secondary school start and end times to create equity in the instructional and duty day lengths for students and teachers. This means teachers will have equal time to prepare and grade assignments and participate in professional development activities.

To support more profound collaboration efforts, our administrators, ISSs, and teachers will have the opportunity to engage in professional learning and further teamwork within the district, region, and agency due to this change. This will enable them to share best practices and improve the quality of education that we provide. Supporting these meaningful collaborations will increase cooperation, support, and guidance for students, teachers, and schools.

We have also considered the impact of these changes on transportation, and we are confident that our transportation offices can support the alignment without any significant adverse effects on student commute times or extended times on the bus upon arrival and departure. We are also coordinating with Commands and childcare services for awareness so that adjustments can be made for the start of the next school year.

Your feedback is essential to helping us understand and improve school operations. Please reach out through your school’s normal communication processes with questions or additional thoughts. Thank you for your cooperation and time! 

Dr. Jeff Arrington
Superintendent, Europe South District