Final standard bell schedules, pending school board approval of schedule parameters, will be implemented next fall
Eugene School District 4J is changing to a consistent calendar and standard schedules for all schools in 2018–19 to provide enough, fair and equal instruction time for students and consistent schedules for families.
The change to standard schedules will:
• ensure that all schools meet state standards for adequate instructional time
• provide fair and equal learning time for students at different schools
• provide consistent, predictable schedules for families, and
• allow coordinated time for staff professional development and collaboration.
Under the standard schedules, developed with staff and community input, all schools at each level will have a standard start and end time (two times for elementary schools, staggered by 35 minutes) and the same amount of instructional time each day, week and year. Currently each 4J school has a different calendar, schedule and amount of instruction time, and learning time for students at different schools can vary by hundreds of hours over elementary, middle and high school.
To develop the standard school schedules, a first draft schedule was published in March for staff, parent, student and community input. The district considered the input received in developing a second draft schedule for further review and feedback. The final proposed schedule includes adjustments responsive to the input received from more than 2,500 parents, students, staff and community members.
Final schedule revisions:
• Early release on Friday for all schools
• Middle school end time 3:35 p.m. (earlier than in Schedule Draft 1 and 2)
• High school start time 8:30 a.m.
School board approval of certain schedule parameters such as instruction time is pending and will be discussed at the board meeting on Wednesday, May 16. Given board approval of the schedule parameters, the final planned school bell schedules are:
| Monday–Thursday | Friday Early Release | Recess / Lunch / Break / Passing Time | Annual Instruction Hours (minus any non-academic assemblies, etc.) | |
| Elementary Schools | Tier 1: 7:55 a.m.–2:25 p.m.Tier 2: 8:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m. |
Tier 1: 7:55 a.m.–1:10 p.m.Tier 2: 8:30 a.m.–1:45 p.m. |
60 minutes on regular days
50 minutes on early release day |
915.2 |
| Middle Schools | 9:00 a.m.–3:35 p.m. | 9:00 a.m.–2:35 p.m. | 54 minutes | 935.2 |
| High Schools | 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. | 8:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. | 57 minutes | 1009.6 |
What’s next
• School board approval of schedule parameters such as instruction time (more information)
• Final schedule communication to parents and community before the end of the school year
More About 4J’s Shift to Standard Schedules
