CHICAGO — Fifteen-year-old Teresa Vergara-Miranda, like many other Chicago students her age, takes care of her siblings after school while her parents are still at work.
The high school student from Brighton Park said she juggles caring for her four siblings while participating in student government and maintaining her grades. But a change to Chicago Public Schools bell schedules could throw a wrench in this balancing act by pushing high school start and end times back one hour — which is why she helped to organize a protest Wednesday at Daley Plaza.
More than 30 students, from elementary school to high school age who live across the city, called for Chicago Public Schools to stop its plan to change school start times, which they say would affect their personal security and ability to pursue their interests.
CPS plans to change the start time at 82 schools, pushing back start times at affected high schools from 8 to 9 a.m. CPS says the move will save about $13.5 million, but opponents say it will make it harder for students to participate in extracurricular activities, work at after-school jobs and take care of younger siblings.
The protesters Wednesday echoed these criticisms, saying they fear for the safety of students who will have to walk through dangerous neighborhoods later than they're used to. They are also concerned they'll have to give up sports and clubs so they can get home earlier to be safe, do homework and meet family obligations.
They carried signs that said, "Save Our Time," "Students Have Lives, Too," and, "Listen to Your Principals" while chanting, "Nine is late, eight is great."
At times, they addressed the crowd using a megaphone, saying they would have to give up sports and clubs if CPS pushes back their school's start time. Those who wouldn't be directly affected by the change said they attended the rally to support students from other schools.
Vergara-Miranda said she'll have to do fewer extracurriculars so she can continue helping to care for siblings at home if CPS keeps the later start time for her high school.
Another organizer, Katelyn Hutchison, 14, of South Shore, said she participates in three after-school sports. The later start time means she'll be walking home in the dark at 8:30 or 9 p.m., something she is concerned about since she doesn't "live in the best of neighborhoods."
"A lot of bad things could happen to me," Hutchison said.
Hutchison's father, Kelly, said it will be "dark and dangerous" when his daughter walks home under the new starting and ending times. They are trying to figure out how they would handle that, he said, since Katelyn, a 4.14 GPA student in Advanced Placement courses, has a lot on her plate and he is a single father.
Another protester who faces a similar situation, Nicholas Timms, 16, of Roseland, said his mother broke his heart when she suggested he give up cross country so he could get home earlier to be safe. Staying later at school would also mean he would pay more for CTA rides due to the 8:30 p.m. end time of discounted trips for students, Timms said.
Students also said they are worried the sacrifices they'll need to make to get home earlier — giving up after-school sports and clubs — will hurt them when they apply to universities. Schools want a "well-rounded student," Vergara-Miranda said, and other protesters said they're frustrated CPS wants them to be well-rounded but is making it harder to pursue after-school activities.
Attendee Fern Fox McCain said she fears her kids, twins Rebecca and Sam, 11, won't be able to have the kind of resume top colleges want if they have to give up their extracurriculars.
Rebecca has studied ballet for eight years, but a later start time at Ogden International will give her less time to prepare and get to class, making it nearly impossible for her to continue dancing, Fox McCain said. Sam said he is worried he'll have less time to participate in after-school sports, do homework and relax.
The students ended the protest by calling on CPS to listen to their concerns and reverse the starting time change. Organizers said they do not plan to hold another event if CPS listens to them.
"We sympathize with the families who are impacted by the change to staggered bell times, but our priority is to keep cuts away from the classrooms wherever possible," said CPS spokeswoman Emily Bittner in a statement. "With safety at top of mind, we will continue to work with school leaders and families to ensure a smooth transition to the upcoming school year while protecting in-class instruction time and extra-curricular activities.
"We will also continue to focus on preventing deeper cuts and more unsustainable borrowing by working with our partners in Springfield on a comprehensive solution."
CPS has also cut $60 million from neighborhood school budgets and will get rid of 270 bus stops.
In a news release announcing the new bell schedules, CPS CEO Forrest Claypool said, “Every dollar we save by staggering school bell times and streamlining transportation services next school year is one more dollar we don’t have to cut from our classrooms. ... We will continue to work with principals and parents to minimize disruptions and protect in-school time, as well as develop a comprehensive plan to address after-school activities."
CPS did not immediately return a request for comment on Wednesday's rally.
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