Rushe Middle Bells May Ring Earlier Next Year

LAND O’ LAKES, FL — Students at Charles S. Rushe Middle School may have to set their alarm clocks earlier next year if a proposal set to go before the Pasco County School Board on Tuesday gets a green light. They may also have to get accustomed to riding the same bus as students from nearby Sunlake High.

The proposal would set Rushe's school day from 7:25 a.m. to 1:40 p.m. for the 2017-18 school year. That schedule is roughly the same Sunlake High would follow with 7:30 a.m. and 1:55 p.m. bell times.

The change would mean Rushe kids would begin their days more than an hour earlier than the current morning bell at 8:40 a.m. The change would also mean the same buses would carry kids to both campuses, which is similar to what already happens on some other campuses across the county.

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The change at Rushe is being proposed to help ensure bus routes run smoothly next year when a new bus garage opens its doors in Odessa, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The move, assistant superintendent Betsy Kuhn told the paper, would increase efficiency and may reduce the number of vehicles on the roads in the early morning hours.

A change in schedule is also being pitched for Anclote High School. Students there, however, would get to sleep in a bit courtesy of a proposed change from 7:30 to 8:45 a.m.

The proposed bell times for the 2017-18 school year are expected to go before the board as part of the consent agenda on Tuesday, April 4. The board meets at 9:30 a.m. at 7227 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

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