Pursuant to SB 296 and Florida Statute 1001.42(4)(f)3, districts must submit required documentation to the Florida Department of Education showing the start times of all schools in the district, opportunities for public input on the start times, the impact and unintended consequences of implementing alternative start times. The proposed school hours align schools to start times of 7:20 for high schools, 8:30 for elementary schools, and 9:30 for middle schools, with limited exceptions. These proposed start times were reviewed with the Board at the February 2026 workshop, prior to releasing a survey to gather community input. 

The survey was advertised and released to the community from March 2-13, gathering 20,733 responses from parents and guardians, staff, students and community members. 

The data reflects high engagement across all primary stakeholder groups:

• Parents and Guardians: 11,756 (56.7%)

• Students: 4,955 (23.9%)

• School Employees: 3,131 (15.1%)

• Community Members: 891 (4.3%)

Respondents were asked to select their preference among three distinct schedule scenarios. Below is a copy of the results:

The aligning of start times in three tiers allows for more efficient busing of students, providing adequate time between schools for pick up and drop off. 

Below is a summary of stakeholder feedback by the primary role selected on the survey.

Stakeholder Feedback by Primary Role

1. Student Perspectives

Students prioritized their existing afternoon responsibilities over the potential benefits of later start times.

• Economic Impact: 71% of student comments highlighted that later dismissal times would negatively affect their ability to maintain part-time employment.

• Extracurricular Balance: Students expressed significant concern regarding sports practices and club meetings extending late into the evening.

• Sleep and Health: While 45% of students acknowledged the health benefits of later starts, the majority felt the logistical drawbacks were more significant.

2. Parent and Guardian Perspectives

Parental feedback focused heavily on safety, childcare logistics, and household economic stability.

• Safety of Younger Students: 68% of parents expressed strong opposition to moving elementary start times to 7:20 AM (Options B and C), citing the danger of young children waiting at bus stops in the dark.

• Sibling Care Dependency: A significant portion of families reported relying on high school students to provide supervision for younger siblings in the afternoon. Reversing the bell order would create a new financial burden for after-school care.

3. Staff Perspectives

District employees demonstrated the strongest preference for the current schedule, with 62% in favor of Option A.

• Professional Sustainability: 40% of staff respondents indicated that a 4:00 PM dismissal (Option B) would negatively impact their ability to remain in their current positions due to their own personal childcare needs or coaching responsibilities.

• Student Engagement: High school teachers reported that while 65% of students appear less alert during early morning classes, they were concerned that later dismissal would result in late-afternoon burnout.

Clay County District Schools establishes daily school hours on an annual basis.

The District will submit required documentation to the FL DOE to ensure compliance with statutory requirements.

• Goal 1: Engage all students to attain the necessary skills and knowledge to be future-ready graduates.

That the Clay County School Board approve the 2026-2027 School Hours as submitted.