SDOC implementing Staggered Start Times

Students return to school on Aug. 17, in the School District of Oconee County (SDOC). Students and parents will notice some changes immediately as they return as the district is implementing staggered start times, explains SDOC Public Information Officer Dr. Sharon Sanders. “Elementary schools will start at 8am and dismiss at 2:45pm, which is the same schedule as last year. Middle schools will start at 8:30am and dismiss at 3:30pm, and high schools will start classes at 8:45am and dismiss at 3:45pm. All schools will open at 7:30am with various activities and supervision provided so that drop off times for parents can be the same as last year. The SDOC was not meeting the state requirement of keeping all routes under 90 minutes one way. To address this problem, the South Carolina Office of Education Transportation has repeatedly urged the district to utilize the staggered start schedule because it allows transportation routes to be more efficient, due to double bus runs. Over half the districts in South Carolina utilize staggered start schedules to address this issue. The district looks forward to cutting the longer bus routes significantly for those students who have had ride times of three hours and up each school day.” Once again, the first day of school in the SDOC is on Thursday, Aug. 17.