UPDATED: New Class Start Times Approved For LEUSD Students

The following is an updated news release from the Lake Elsinore Unified School District. On June 20, the district's governing board approved these changes after receiving public input:

A new 2013-14 School Year Calendar that eliminates Wednesday "minimum days" has been approved by the Governing Board. New start and ending times for elementary, middle and K-8 schools have also been approved for next fall. High School ending times are unchanged, with a new 7:45 a.m. start. School officials regard these changes as essential to implementing the new Common Core Standards, a nationwide effort to prepare students for college and career success.

“The new bell schedule and school year calendar will maximize our efforts to implement Common Core beginning in 2013-14 without compromising instructional quality or student support services,” said Dr. Doug Kimberly, District Superintendent. The new bell schedule is shown below.

California’s Common Core standards must be in place by 2014-15, so LEUSD has made several changes to the 2013-14 calendar and bell schedules to facilitate this school wide transition. A summary of the final approved 2013-14 School Year Calendar is shown below.

The new bell schedule provides for additional after school programs and staffing at two sites, Canyon Lake Middle School (CLMS) and Terra Cotta Middle School (TCMS), which are affected by bus transportation route timing delays.

Program staffing at CLMS and TCMS was approved as a result of the change in ending times to provide new after-school academic tutorial/enrichment and recreational programs during the extended wait time between school dismissal and bus arrival. These after-school programs will be coordinated and managed by Think Together, a respected educational partner with similar programs throughout LEUSD. These new programs will be offered to CLMS and TCMS students who ride the bus, and other interested students, at no additional cost to parents.

As a convenience to parents, fee-based childcare will continue to be provided at existing district and school locations.

School year calendar and schedule changes take into consideration student learning needs, bus transportation logistics, and endorsement by LEUSD’s two associations, the Lake Elsinore Teachers Association (LETA) and the California School Employees Association, Chapter 598 (CSEA). LEUSD will post final school year calendar and bell schedule information on LEUSD’s Web site, and will notify student households via reverse dialer before the school year start.

Approved School Starting and Ending Times:
Elementary: 8 a.m.—1:45 p.m.
 AM Kinder 8:00 a.m.—11:40 a.m.
 PM Kinder 10:05 a.m.—1:45 p.m.
 Grades 1-5 8:00 a.m.—1:45 p.m.
o School buses arrive approximately 1:45 p.m.

K-8: varies for K-5, 6-8
 AM Kinder 8:00 a.m.—11:40 a.m.
 PM Kinder 10:05 a.m.—1:45 p.m.
 Grades K-5 8:00 a.m.—1:45 p.m.
o School buses do not arrive until approximately 2:10 p.m.
 Grades 6-8 7:50 a.m.—1:45 p.m.
o School buses do not arrive until approximately 2:10 p.m.

Middle School: varies by site
 CLMS 7:46 a.m.—2:01 p.m.*
o School buses do not arrive until approximately 3:15 p.m.; therefore, after school program to be offered to all students.
o *This ending time is 16 minutes later than Cottonwood Canyon Elementary School’s dismissal time, to help mitigate traffic congestion in the surrounding area.
 TCMS 7:40 a.m.—1:44 p.m.
o School buses do not arrive until approximately 3:15 p.m.; therefore, after school program to be offered to all students.
 DABMS 7:30 a.m.—1:34 p.m.
o School buses arrive approximately 1:34 p.m.
 EMS 7:30 a.m.—1:34 p.m.
o School buses arrive approximately 1:34 p.m.

High School: 7:45 a.m. —2:31 p.m. (ending times unchanged)
 All* 7:45 a.m.—2:31 p.m.
o School buses arrive approximately 2:31 p.m. *EHS, LHS, TCHS

2013-14 SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR APPROVED
July 24, 25 ------------------- Administrative Team staff development
August 12, 13 --------------- Teacher Work Days
August 14 ------------------- First day of school for students
September 2 ---------------- Labor Day holiday
November 11 --------------- Veterans Day holiday
November 18 --------------- K-5, K-8, MS-Teacher Work Day
November 25-27 ---------- No school
November 28, 29 ---------- Thanksgiving holiday
December 18-20 ---------- HS only-assessment minimum day
December 23 --------------- No school
December 24 --------------- District Non Work Day
December 25-31 ---------- Holidays
January 1 -------------------- New Year’s Day holiday
January 2-10 --------------- No school
January 13 ------------------ HS only-Teacher Work Day
K-5, K-8, MS-Back to School
January 14 ------------------ HS-Back to School
January 20 ------------------ Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday
February 14, 17 ----------- Lincoln’s Birthday, Presidents’ Day holiday
March 24-28 ---------------- Spring break-no school
April 20 ---------------------- Easter
April 28-30 ----------------- STAR Testing
May 1, 2, 5-9 ---------------- STAR Testing
May 26 ----------------------- Memorial Day holiday
June 3 ------------------------ Graduation: 2:30 p.m.—OHS/KMA/SCOA/VAS, at Diamond Stadium, Lake Elsinore Graduation: 7:00 p.m.—LHS, at Diamond Stadium
June 4 ------------------------ Graduation: 2:00 p.m.—TCHS, at Diamond Stadium Graduation: 7:00 p.m.—EHS, at Diamond Stadium
June 3-5 ---------------------- HS only-assessment minimum day
June 5 ------------------------ Last day of school for students
June 6 ------------------------ Teacher Work Day-no school for students