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Show Wed/Thurs/Fri, June 14-16, 2017 The Park Record A-8 Start times are a changin’ PARK RECORD FILE PHOTO The Park City Board of Education voted to implement school start time changes in the 2018-2019 school year, but the details of what the new bell schedule will look like have not been finalized. Timeline set, but details still need to be finalized By BUBBA BROWN The Park Record The Park City Board of Education says changes to school start times are coming for the 2018-2019 school year, but parents will have to wait to see what the new bell schedules will look like. At a public meeting last week, the school board voted unanimously on the timing to implement the change, as well as one other new development: The district will transition to a two-tier schedule, rather than the three-tier model currently in place. That means each of the district’s seven schools will start at one of two times. Currently, the first bell at Park City High School and Treasure Mountain Junior High School rings around 7:30 a.m., Ecker Hill Middle School begins at 8:50 a.m. and the elementary schools start at about 8:15 a.m. The development comes after school officials commissioned a survey to get feedback from parents and community members about the prospect of changing start times. The results indicated that a majority -- 58 percent -- of respondents were in favor of new bell schedules. However, there was no consensus on a specific schedule the district should use. None of the three options included in the survey -- which all had one block of schools starting around 7:50 a.m., another beginning at about 8:40 a.m. and a third starting around 9:30 a.m. -- garnered support from Park City’s oldest most consistent collision center Est. 1978. more than 42 percent of participants. Board member Andrew Caplan said that made it obvious moving to a two-tiered system would be a more palatable option. “It’s either move to two bells and allow our older students to start later, which is an interest that is pretty clear from a large part of our community -- and there’s a lot of medical science supporting it -- or just leave it as is,” he said. But even with a two-bell structure, determining timing is proving difficult. The school board initially wanted to move back the high school to begin around 8:30 a.m., but the results of a study exploring the feasibility of changing start times indicated that would flood the roads with school traf- Continued From A-7 Exchange students They agreed that their time in Park City has lived up to their expectations. They’ve been blown away by visiting some of America’s most treasured places, like Disneyland and Yellowstone National Park, but the little things have also been fascinating. Neither had ever used a seatbelt in a car, for instance, and both were stunned the first time they used a dishwasher. “My experience has been great,” Ibrahim said. “I have done a lot of new things. I can say my life has changed this year. I didn’t realize how much I changed until now at the end. It will be so different when I go back.” One of the most jarring things for both students was the size of Park City High School. Compared to their small schools at home, walking the halls felt like stepping into a cathedral. It took some time to figure out how to navigate the school between classes. “When I came to Park City High School and just the high school had, like, 1,000 kids, it was very overwhelming,” Mitra said. “In Bangladesh, my school is just a building and all your classes are in that building. Park City High’s library is, like, four times bigger than any room I’d ever seen. It was a shock, but a good kind of shock.” But more than just a large building, Park City High School proved to be a welcoming pace for both Mitra and Ibrahim. They said the teachers and students immediately embraced them, and they quickly forged strong friendships with their peers -most of whom were curious to learn about Mitra and Ibrahim’s home countries. “The students were so excited to know about my culture and to talk with me,” she said. “They asked me to write in my language and teach them stuff from my country.” For Ibrahim, though, her time in Park City has come to a close, as she was scheduled to travel back to Egypt on Monday. Mitra, however, will stay with the Howards through the summer and another school year due to the threat of violence in her home country. She didn’t plan to stay so long when she first came to Park City in 2015, but after an attack by the Islamic State (known as ISIS) threatened her school and Please see Start times, A-9 CKM Collision BUBBA BROWN/PARK RECORD Marla Howard, left, and her husband Michael hosted exchange students Silvia Ibrahim, middle left, and Ava Mitra. All four say the experience has been rewarding. at Quinn’s Junction “Physics Behind Collision Repair” Submit event recaps, photos and news about local Receive 5% off auto repairs clubs/groups/nonprofits to arts@parkrecord.com exp. 08/31/17 Jon Brady Office Manager Chad Knaras 3844 North Old Highway 40 Park City | Utah | 84098 1701 E. Kings Peak Cir. You set the scene Owner 435.649.9802 ckmcollision.com 3 Bedrooms | 3 Bath | 3,337 Sq. Ft. MLS 11702291 | $825,000 her church in Bangladesh, she quickly returned. “My mom thought that it was very unsafe for me to continue going to school there,” said Mitra, who attended Park City High School her first year but transferred to the private school Rowland Hall in Salt Lake City to comply with her visa. “So she was hoping that there would be a way for me to come back.” For their part, the Howards were delighted to have Mitra back for a longer stay. Having her and Ibrahim -- as well as a prior exchange student from France -- join their family has enriched their lives. And it’s also strengthened their belief in the importance of sharing cultures. Marla Howard noted how the students are, ultimately, very much like their American counterparts in many ways. Michael Howard added that the presence of students like Mitra and Ibrahim strengthens the community, which benefits from being exposed to other cultures and ways of life. “Having these kids in the community, when they talk about their culture and everything, I think it breaks down the walls and breaks down the barriers,” he said. “It leads to greater understanding, and with greater understanding comes more opportunities for peace and exchange and makes the world a better place.” 591 N. Copper Belt Cir. 4 Bedrooms | 5 Bath | 3,976 Sq. Ft. MLS 11702249 | $1,695,000 Just minutes from downtown Park City, owners enjoy: www.RedLedges.com GOLF | TENNIS | EQUESTRIAN | DINING SWIM & FITNESS | SKI LOUNGE Chris Maddox (435) 657-4063 Chris.Maddox@RedLedges.com Exclusively Brokered by Red Ledges Realty, LLC . Obtain the Property Report required by federal law and read it before signing anything. No federal agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of this property. 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