Longer day for middle-schoolers in Prince George’s County

For middle school students in Prince George’s County, the first day of school on Monday added 40 extra minutes to the day, and the additional time will continue throughout the remainder of the school year. Karen Harrison, a parent whose daughter began the eighth grade on Monday, said the 8:15 a.m. start time means less of a rush for her in the morning. The previous school day began at 9 a.m. and ended at 3:40 p.m. The day now ends at 3:35 p.m. “I get to work on time,” Harrison said.

The additional 40 minutes have been dubbed as an “enrichment and intervention period,” though each school has the freedom to decide how the time is used. The change is part of an effort to save money, as the middle school students will now be able to share buses with high school students. The change could also save the county school system $5 million. School officials are aiming for the extra time to give students extra help if they need it. “Some students will need intervention right away, and we’ll get that for those students,” said Greenbelt Middle Principal Warren Tweedy. “We also need to find ways of challenging some, and there will be enrichment opportunities for those students.”