Oxford Schools Set New Start Times

OXFORD, Miss. (Press Release) — The bell will ring at different times this upcoming school year at Oxford school campuses. During the June 23 Board of Trustees monthly meeting, members voted to adjust the new school start and end times beginning in the 2014-2015 school year.
New start and end times for each school for the 2014-2015 school year are:
Bramlett Elementary School
7:40 a.m. to 2:35 p.m.
Oxford Elementary School
7:40 a.m. to 2:35 p.m.
Della Davidson Elementary School
7:40 a.m. to 2:35 p.m.
Oxford Intermediate School
7:35 a.m. to 2:40 p.m.
Oxford Middle School
8:20 a.m. to 3:40 p.m.
Oxford High School
8:25 a.m. to 3:40 p.m.
Oxford Learning Center
8:25 a.m. to 3:40 p.m.
Scott Center
7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
The new times were one of the adjustments made to School Board Policy JBA, or the Compulsory School Attendance Policy, which was up for its second reading at the regularly scheduled June Board of Trustees meeting.
The Compulsory School Attendance Policy states that a student must be in attendance for 63 percent of the instructional school day based on the starting and ending times. If not, the student will be counted absent for the school day.
“School attendance is a vital aspect of developing and maintaining a successful educational experience,” said Oxford School District Superintendent Brian Harvey. “We will work with school parents who might need assistance with dropping off or picking up their children from school on time.”
Harvey added, “We will have our school doors open early so parents can drop off their child at school earlier than the school start time; in fact, we encourage our parents to drop students off at school earlier, so that they can eat breakfast in the cafeteria. All students eat breakfast free in our school district.”
Afterschool care will also be available in the upcoming school year at Bramlett Elementary School, Oxford Elementary School and Della Davidson Elementary School. Afterschool care is $75 a month, and students receive after school snacks and help with their homework.
Oxford School District officials are positive that with the new adjusted times, students should experience a shorter bus ride; some bus routes have had students on the bus for an hour and 25 minutes in the past.
“We are hopeful that students should not stay on their bus route for more than an hour, even with a new school — Oxford Intermediate School — being added as a drop-off and pick-up location next school year,” said Harvey.
For more information on the Oxford School District, visit www.oxfordsd.org.