Dear LCPS Community,
As we navigate the ongoing needs of our students and families, we recognize the importance of your input in shaping our educational environment and solving our challenges. One of the things I heard often during last year’s listening sessions was concern about our bell schedules, school start times, and the school calendar.
That’s why we are reaching out to ask for your help in understanding the impacts of potential changes to our bell schedules and school calendars. Your experiences and perspectives are invaluable as we consider how these adjustments may affect our community.
Currently, we have 21 schools starting at or around 7:30 a.m. The recent changes made to our bell schedule in 2022 and modified in 2024 have significantly improved our transportation efficiency, resulting in a remarkable 97% on-time arrival rate. However, we want to ensure that any future adjustments continue to meet the needs of our students and families.
To gather your feedback, we invite you to participate in a brief survey that will take approximately 5 minutes to complete. Look for an email from me on October 1 with the link to the survey.
Your insights will help us evaluate our current bell schedule and help guide the LCPS Calendar Committee as it begins to develop future school calendars. This committee includes representatives from various divisions and departments across LCPS, ensuring a well-rounded approach to planning.
As you consider your responses, please know that our calendar development is guided by the following principles:
Compliance with Virginia Code, which mandates 180 days or 990 hours of instruction each year,
Adherence to LCPS Policy 7040 and Regulation 7040,
Alignment with our ONE LCPS: 2027 Strategic Plan for Excellence, emphasizing the instructional needs of our students and professional development for our staff, and,
Integration of community feedback.
Your voice matters, and we are committed to listening. Please take a few moments to share your thoughts through the survey. Look for a link from me later today. The feedback we receive will play a crucial role in our decision-making process and help us create an optimal learning environment for every student.
Thank you for your continued support and engagement. Together, we can foster a thriving educational community that meets the needs of all of our students.
In appreciation,
Aaron Spence, Ed.D.
Superintendent