FCPS recently announced the bell schedule for next year (2012 – 2013) and Marshall Rd ES is slated to have the latest bell schedule (9:15 a.m. – 3:55 p.m.). Many MRES parents have expressed concern over the hardships these hours will cause our school community, as well as our individual families, and have asked what we can do to effect a change to these late hours.

Our voices need to be heard immediately if we wish to effect change. What can you do? Sign the on-line petition. In addition, write to Mr. Dean Tistadt, Chief Operating Officer, Department of Facilities and Transportation Services (datistadt@fcps.edu), and our School Board representatives Ms. Patty Reed (psreed1@fcps.edu) and Ms. Pat Hynes (pmhynes@fcps.edu) expressing your concerns.

By completing this form, you are signing an electronic petition that supports a request to FCPS Department of Facilities and Transportation Services that MRES’s bell schedule be earlier than what is currently proposed (9:15 a.m. to 3:55 p.m.) for 2012 -2013. We need to gather as many supporters as possible, so please share this with other members of the MRES community!

Although all elementary schools benefit by having their children home earlier in the afternoon – time to play before it gets dark (particularly in the winter) and the ability to fully participate in extracurricular activities by getting home early enough to go to classes/practice/events, MRES has additional reasons for requesting an earlier bell schedule which distinguish us from other elementary schools:

1. Location of MRES. Unlike other schools, we are in the hub of major commuting arteries – Metro traffic, Interstate 66, Routes 29 and 50. The school’s hours should not coincide with the morning and afternoon rush hour times. The school’s vehicular traffic (buses, plus parents’ and staff’s vehicles) only increase the traffic congestion. Moreover, the school’s vehicular traffic is often delayed in the congestion (which results in children arriving to school late, or taking longer to get home in the afternoons).

2. 50% of MRES students are assigned buses. Having buses depart at 4:00 p.m. or later will result in the buses being delayed in rush hour traffic, and the students arriving home later than if the buses departed prior to the start of the evening rush hour. Although this is detrimental to all bused students, it is particularly harmful to the special needs students in our school community. MRES serves a number of students with a variety of special needs (20% of MRES students have an IEP or 504 Plan). Many of these students are bused – some to localities outside of Vienna (Falls Church, McLean, Fairfax). Those bused outside the Vienna limits may be on the buses for more than one hour under the current proposed schedule.

3. Majority of our MRES community is dual income families and the late bell schedule makes it difficult for both parents to work traditional hours. Moreover, having a start time before 9 a.m. would allow many parents to utilize the HOV lanes on I66.

4. Viable childcare options in the morning are limited. MRES’ overburdened SACC program is not an option for parents who work traditional hours. There is already a long wait list for the SACC program. Next year (2012 – 2013) the morning wait list is expected to be over 60 students. Some families have already been on the wait list for years.

5. The above problems will only be compounded next year when the families in the MetroWest development join our school community (more buses, vehicular traffic, SACC waitlist).

Time is of the essence – so make sure your voice is heard now! We do not know if this effort will effect a change to the schedule, but we do know that without your voice, it will stand as is. As a community, we can request our community’s concerns be heard, and that our children be considered in this issue.