River Ridge Middle, High Start Times Change Temporarily

NEW PORT RICHEY, FL — With smoke from the 2,275-acre Anclote Branch wildfire still very much a concern, Pasco County Schools has announced some time changes that are expected to remain in place for the rest of the week. The smoke-prompted shuffling of schedules impacts kids who attend River Ridge Middle and River Ridge High schools.

“We have been told to expect visibility to be poor in the early morning for the next week,” school superintendent Kurt Browning said in a Monday afternoon statement. With that in mind, the two schools will begin classes at 10:45 a.m. for the rest of the week. Buses will arrive 3 hours and 15 minutes later than on normal days. Dismissal has been reset through Friday to 5:10 p.m.

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“We realize that changing arrival and dismissal times will cause logistical issues for some families, including our staff members,” Browning said. “We will work with the affected individuals in these situations. We have made arrangements with PLACE to accept elementary children of faculty and staff members who have childcare concerns. I’m asking for parents and students to please be patient as we work through this very fluid process.”

Since wind conditions may change and different schools may become impacted by heavy smoke, the district said it intends to monitor the situation closely.

District staff will receive reports from the National Weather Service every morning at 3 a.m. so local officials can “base school opening and closing before students board buses in the morning,” Browning said. “If conditions at a school or schools are predicted to be smoky or hazardous, we will send automated phone messages early in the morning to students whose schools are closing. We realize that this, too, will be disruptive, but our goal will be to get the information to families as early as possible.”

Wildfire-related disruptions or not, Browning reminded that high school students are in the middle of taking advanced placement and end-of-course exams. That means coming to school remains important even under the adjusted schedule.

River Ridge middle and high schools were both closed on Monday due to the smoke. Cypress Elementary also closed, but the district has not announced a change in its schedule for the rest of the week.

Any changes to the schedule beyond Friday for River Ridge students or other campuses will be reassessed later this week.

“Parents and staff will be notified of plans for next week and beyond on Friday, based on the information we have at that time,” Browning said. “If anything changes over next weekend, we will notify parents and staff as quickly as possible.”

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