Board tries to accommodate parents affected by Whitnall's twice-monthly late start

Starting Whitnall High School classes later twice a month will give teachers a chance to collaborate, but it will also cause a problem for some working parents who drop off their kids.

The problem affects families living within a two-mile radius of the school. Whitnall students within that area aren't eligible for school bus transportation.

Parents whose work schedules don't allow for a later drop-off time will be in a bind unless the district makes other accommodations.

The Whitnall School Board on Monday night asked administrators to check the cost and workability of two potential options for those parents. One is having their children walk to a designated spot on a normal school bus route so that they can be picked up. The other is allowing the students to be dropped off at the school's regular time and then allowing them to use the cafeteria, where they can study under supervision.

The School Board will likely take up the matter again June 25.