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Reset Those Alarms, Taft Students: School Starts at 7:45 a.m. -- Again

By Heather Cherone | August 14, 2015 4:22pm | Updated on August 17, 2015 8:25am
 Principal Mark Grishaber reversed his decision to have class start at 9 a.m. after parents objected.
Principal Mark Grishaber reversed his decision to have class start at 9 a.m. after parents objected.
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DNAinfo; Taft High School

NORWOOD PARK — Classes at Taft High School will start at 7:45 a.m. after Principal Mark Grishaber reversed his decision Friday to begin classes at 9 a.m.

Grishaber said he changed his mind after more than 200 parents and students packed a hastily called meeting of the Local School Council Thursday evening and objected to the change, which they said would make it impossible for students to participate in athletics or hold down a job.

"I made a mistake not realizing what the impact would be," Grishaber said. "One person shouldn't make a decision that touches so many lives."

Taft High School, 6530 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., was one of nearly 80 schools to have its start time pushed back by Chicago Public Schools officials on July 17 hoping to save $9.2 million by reducing the number of bus shifts to two, allowing the district to cut 160 buses and 75 aides, officials said.

However, the move drew fierce opposition not only from students, who organized a rally downtown, but other principals who asked district officials to reconsider their plan.

And on Monday, CPS officials did just that, returning to 34 schools to their original start time, including Taft. The transportation changes will now save about $5 million.

But Grishaber — one of the few high school principals to embrace the change — told district officials Taft would stay at 9 a.m., citing research that shows teens do not perform well academically until mid-morning.

"All of the research tells us that school should start at 9 a.m.," Grishaber said, adding that he had only received about two dozen emails about the change, and didn't expect widespread opposition.

However, Grishaber said a decision like this should not be made by him — or anyone in the district's main office Downtown.

"Hindsight is 20/20," Grishaber said. "This is a good lesson for me."

A top CPS official apologized Thursday for the confusion.

Grishaber said he was frustrated by the district's back-and-forth about the start time for school.

"I wish they had made a decision and stuck to it," Grishaber said.

School starts Sept. 8.

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