By Erik Jones | Lorain Daily
The Lorain City School Board postponed a key vote on May 12 regarding a proposal to lengthen the student day at all grade levels after a wave of teacher pushback and concerns from board members. The proposed changes aimed to increase instructional time district-wide but raised numerous questions around implementation, staffing, and student readiness.
Proposal Summary
The administration proposed extending the school day as follows:
- Elementary schools: +30 minutes (dismissal at 3:00 p.m.)
- Middle schools: +15 minutes (instructional day begins at 8:45 a.m.)
- High school: +5 minutes (dismissal at 2:30 p.m.)
The changes would bring Lorain in line with neighboring public, private, and charter schools, particularly those in its new athletic conference. Administrators emphasized that the goal was to increase equity and instructional time, with elementary students gaining the equivalent of 13.9 additional days per year.
Board Concerns
Board Member Courtney Nazario raised strong concerns about moving forward without a finalized district-wide behavior or attendance improvement plan.
“Our behavior is still bad. Our attendance is still not great,” Nazario said. “Putting kids in elementary for 30 more minutes in a classroom, when historically data shows behavior worsens as the day goes on, is a major concern.”
Nazario, who has children at all three school levels, added that while the changes might benefit her personally, she couldn’t support them without seeing better preparation for what teachers and students will face.
Teacher Testimonies
In an unusual move, the board—led by President Jay Ferguson—suspended its rules to open a second public hearing during the meeting, allowing educators to share unplanned feedback. What followed was nearly an hour of passionate testimony from teachers across grade levels.
Elementary teachers described how instruction already begins at 8:00 a.m., despite the district officially listing 8:15 as the start of the school day. They warned that the additional 30 minutes, as proposed, would not improve student outcomes without addressing deeper behavioral and attendance issues.
“We’re already teaching at 8:00. Adding more time at the end of the day will just increase behavior problems,” said Gina Dury, a third-grade teacher at Admiral King Elementary. “If we’re not paid for dismissal, and now it ends at 3:00, we’ll be working for free.”
Others echoed similar concerns about unpaid labor, lost planning time, and increased strain on staff who already handle recess supervision and afterschool programming without additional compensation.
High school and middle school teachers expressed worries that the added minutes would not reach the students most in need, particularly those who arrive late or frequently miss school.
“We have kids who miss first and second periods every day,” said Katie Bellamero, an eighth-grade teacher. “Fifteen more minutes won’t help if they’re not there to begin with.”
Transportation and Dismissal Issues
Administrators acknowledged that current dismissal schedules are strained. Right now, only 15 minutes separate high school and elementary dismissal times, making it difficult for bus routes to operate efficiently. The new schedule would increase that gap to 30 minutes, which Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Graham said is necessary.
“We are scheduled to have a problem with our dismissal,” Graham said. “This change helps solve that.”
However, several teachers pointed out that staffing dismissal safely already requires more than two staff members per building, and adding time without adjusting contractual planning time could result in more unpaid labor or disruptions to afterschool clubs.
Behavior and Attendance Still Unresolved
While administrators discussed upcoming meetings on behavior plans and said progress was being made on resource communication and process flowcharts, they admitted that final plans are not yet in place. Attendance, a major issue raised repeatedly by staff and board members, has yet to be directly addressed in board discussions.
Julie Garcia, president of the Lorain Education Association, noted, “There has been no discussion about attendance or any suggestions about what to do.”
Decision Delayed
In response to the volume of feedback and unresolved concerns, Superintendent Graham pulled the proposed schedule change from the agenda before a vote could take place. It will now be revisited at the next board meeting on May 27.
“I am willing to pull this for this meeting and put it on the next board meeting to get you the answers you need and the answers they deserve,” he told the board.
Looking Ahead
The district continues to face a complex balancing act: increasing instructional time while addressing behavior, chronic absenteeism, staff workloads, and logistical constraints. With the next board meeting just two weeks away, stakeholders will be watching closely to see if the administration delivers concrete solutions—or if the proposal faces further delays.