MONDAY: Seattle Public Schools changes elementary, K-8 schedules, starts in-person-learning return

Tomorrow’s a big day for many Seattle Public Schools students. First, bell times change for all elementary and K-8 students, as announced:

New Elementary and K-8 Bell Schedules

Elementary and K-8 schools will begin at 8 a.m. and end at 2:30 p.m. for students in both the remote and hybrid, in-person model (part-time in person and part-time remote).

This change does not include 6th-8th grade comprehensive middle schools. Comprehensive middle schools will continue to begin at 9 a.m.

Bell Schedule

8 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
Morning Block: 8 – 10:45 a.m.
Afternoon Block: 11:45 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

8 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. Wednesday
All students will be remote

The district says the change will make it possible for them to offer more bus service as more students return to in-person learning. Tomorrow, meantime, is the first day of that for the first wave of returning students – preschoolers and students enrolled in elementary special education Intensive Services Pathways. Other district updates on returning to in-person learning are here. No word of a deal yet for bringing back 6th-12th graders.

8 Replies to "MONDAY: Seattle Public Schools changes elementary, K-8 schedules, starts in-person-learning return"

  • The truth March 28, 2021 (8:10 pm)

    It is crazy to me that after a year to put a plan together, it is 8 days away kids going back to school and I still don’t have an answer to what time block they will be in or if they will both be in the same blocks.  I know it had to be negotiated and all that but you would think the district would have been way further ahead on this.  No idea how to set up child care or what to even look for at this point. So frustrating!

    • MrsT March 28, 2021 (8:21 pm)

      This district has always been terrible at that sort of thing. Great teachers in Seattle, terrible leadership at the district level.

    • Vincent March 29, 2021 (7:23 am)

      Blocks are 100% determined by attendance and the surveys parents are often still withholding out of uncertainty or fear…. Even if they had a year this wouldn’t help.The district administration focus on faux consensus building, rather than just presenting two options plainly on this really failed them.

  • TJ March 28, 2021 (8:56 pm)

    The whole idea of the union (the teachers) negotiating with the district on getting back to teaching the way it should be is frustrating. If covid hypothetically disappeared in a week they would not know how to start school fully. Beware. Seattle schools is setting up for next school year to not be a normal full regular schedule. Its a tragedy that “the Seattle process” is spilling over into schools now. Don’t over complicate it. Look around the country. Lots of schools have been in class fully. 

    • skeeter March 29, 2021 (12:11 pm)

       “Beware. Seattle schools is setting up for next school year to not be a normal full regular schedule.”SPS parent here.  Gosh I hope you are wrong.  But you are probably right.  Even in the best of times SPS and SEA could not agree on anything.  My guess is Seattle schools will be on a severely reduced schedule until the governor mandates a return to full time instruction.  

    • Pessoa March 29, 2021 (1:29 pm)

      This “Seattle process,” is a euphemism for political cowardice.  No one here is willing to take a bold, unilateral stance on anything that might expose them to risk, politically or personally.   This was very apparent after only a few months in Seattle.    

  • Horace Mann March 28, 2021 (11:09 pm)

    What’s the point? My K kid will net less learning time now with this new schedule. It seems like a rush to in-person learning with little thought about what actually makes the most sense from a learning perspective. They should just finish the school year remote and get together a real plan for the fall.

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