Fairfax County to Implement New Bell Schedule for 2015-16 School Year

By ETHAN LEVINE (Patch Staff)

Fairfax County Public Schools recently announcedit has finalized its new bell schedule for the 2015-16 school year, which will take effect in September.

The new schedule will ensure each school in the county is in session for six hours and 45 minutes each day.

The revised bell schedule was created in order to allow for later start times throughout the county, which the FCPS website says will mean “clear health benefits for adolescents.”

Here are some notes from the revised schedule:

• High schools in the area will begin at either 8 or 8:10 a.m. each day, and will let out at either 2:45 or 2: 55 p.m.
• Middle schools will all begin at 7:30 a.m. and end at 2:25 p.m.
• Elementary schools will begin sometime between 8-9:30 a.m., and they’ll end sometime between 2:45-4:15 p.m.

FCPS also noted on its website that “Superintendent Garza and the School Board hope to continue to refine and improve our school start times in the years ahead,” meaning more changes could take effect in the future. However, those changes will not affect the coming school year.

For a complete list of revised start times for schools throughout the county, click here.