Students at Largo Middle School will need to set their alarm clocks much earlier beginning in August, if the school board approves proposed new start times for 2026-27.
To streamline bus transportation, the district has recommended shifting Largo Middle’s morning bell from 9:40 a.m. to 7:25 a.m. That would align the middle school day with Largo High, which would start classes at 7:35 a.m., 10 minutes later than this year.
The middle and high school students would share bus rides, similar to the district’s past moves to pair transportation for East Lake middle and high school, and Bay Point Middle and Lakewood High.
Largo Middle parents received letters over spring break advising them of the proposal, with two raising concerns, said Jennifer Dull, the district’s chief operations officer. One of them wanted to make sure after-school programs would be available for students, Dull said, telling the board that discussions are underway to have that service available.
The district also is recommending that St. Petersburg and Dunedin high schools shift their start times to 7:45 a.m., 20 minutes later than this year.
“We are trying as we committed to the board and the public to get closer to that 8 a.m. time” for high schools, Dull said.
One thing the district is not doing is revamping its bell schedules to have all high schools start at 8:30 a.m. or later, and all middle schools starting at 8 a.m. or later. That was a goal lawmakers set three years ago, then backed away from it after learning about the logistical challenges that many districts would face if forced to comply.
Pinellas officials said moving high schools later and having elementary schools begin classes first would cost the district more than $3 million to add more early-morning elementary routes. In surveys, many families and students also indicated their desire to keep high school schedules early enough that teens could participate in afternoon activities, such as work and sports.
Board vice chairperson Dawn Peters asked if anyone had complained about the smaller 20-minute shift for St. Petersburg and Dunedin, knowing such concerns.
“It sounds like only 20 minutes, but we don’t know” how it impacts individual situations, Peters said.
No other schools have recommended schedule changes for next fall. The board is set to vote on the proposal on April 14.
In other business, the school board learned that Great Explorations Children’s Museum will partner with the district on Bay Point K-8 School when that consolidated program opens. The board voted earlier this spring to merge Bay Point elementary and middle schools in fall 2027.