Early Alarms For River Ridge Students Return

NEW PORT RICHEY, FL — River Ridge Middle and High School students enjoying the wildfire-prompted ability to sleep in will have to say goodbye to later alarms staring Tuesday. Pasco County School officials have announced that bell schedules on both campuses will return to normal starting May 16.

The two schools have been operating on a modified schedule since smoke from the Anclote Branch fire began impacting the campuses last week. Instead of 7:30 a.m. first-period bells, students have been reporting for class at 10:45 a.m. for the past week. Their days have ended at 5:10 p.m.

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Resuming the regular bell schedule means a 7:30 a.m. to 1:55 p.m. schedule for both schools. District officials say they anticipate the normal schedule to remain in place for the remaining two weeks of the school year.

Should conditions change, the district will adjust the schedule. The 2,275-acre Anclote Branch fire in the Starkey Preserve is under control, but is still considered active, which means smoke remains a lingering concern.

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