Why Are We Making This Change?
Middle and High School Considerations
Protecting Instructional Time: Students at Armour currently lose significant instructional time due to early departures for the many athletics, debate, and other competitive after-school activities offered at Académie Lafayette. An earlier start allows students to participate fully in these programs while preserving core academic learning time.
Meeting IB and Career Program Requirements: Our IB Middle Years and Diploma Programs, as well as career pathway offerings (including partnerships with Manuel Tech) require sustained instructional blocks. Adjusted hours better support these academic and career-focused commitments.
Alignment With Metro Middle and High Schools: Aligning Armour’s schedule with other metro-area middle and high schools improves student access to competitions, events, and collaborative opportunities while reducing missed class time.
Admissions and Retention: Families have shared that school hours factor into enrollment decisions. A more traditional middle and high school schedule supports recruitment, retention, and long-term program sustainability.
Supporting Students’ Responsibilities Beyond School: Many secondary students balance extracurricular activities, part-time jobs, and family responsibilities, including caring for younger siblings. Earlier dismissal provides increased flexibility and balance for families.
Elementary School Considerations
An 8:30 am start time for Cherry and Oak aligns with average elementary school schedules across the Kansas City metro. Families have raised concerns about early start times for elementary students.
As a K–8 French Immersion school, Académie Lafayette relies on a strong and developmentally appropriate elementary foundation to sustain our immersion model and ensure that students are able to build the language proficiency needed to succeed in French as they progress into middle school.
Admissions data also indicates that early elementary start times have contributed to families choosing other schools. This adjustment supports enrollment stability and family needs.
Bus Transportation Improvements
Starting the school day earlier at the Armour Campus will allow us to stagger bus pick-ups more effectively and reduce the delays currently experienced at Cherry and Oak due to the high number of students riding buses at the elementary level. This change will improve reliability for families, ensure students arrive on time, and allow bus routes to run more smoothly across all campuses.
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