Four Pinellas County schools are in line for new start times for the 2026-27 school year, with one middle school facing a dramatic shift of more than two hours earlier in the morning.

The district has recommended moving Largo Middle School’s start time from 9:40 a.m. to 7:25 a.m. — a change aimed at streamlining bus transportation by pairing the school’s routes with those of nearby Largo High School, which would begin classes at 7:35 a.m., 10 minutes later than its current schedule.

The arrangement mirrors similar transportation-sharing setups the district has already implemented at East Lake Middle and High School and at Bay Point Middle and Lakewood High.

Largo Middle parents received letters over spring break informing them of the proposal. District chief operations officer Jennifer Dull told the board that two parents raised concerns, including one who asked about the availability of after-school programs, and that discussions are underway to ensure the service will be in place.

St. Petersburg and Dunedin high schools are also recommended to shift their start times to 7:45 a.m., 20 minutes later than the current schedule. Dull said the district is working toward getting high schools closer to an 8 a.m. start time, as it had previously committed to do.

The district stopped short of a broader overhaul. Moving all high schools to 8:30 a.m. or later — a goal state lawmakers set three years ago before backing away from it — would cost the district more than $3 million for additional early-morning elementary routes. Surveys also showed that many families and students preferred earlier high school schedules to allow teens to participate in after-school activities like work and sports.

The school board is set to vote on the proposed schedule changes on April 14.

Follow the St. Pete-Clearwater Sun on Facebook, Google, & X

St. Pete-Clearwater Sun: local St. Pete-Clearwater news at PIE-Sun.com