After switching gears on various proposals to change school days’ start and end times, the Portland school board heard from more than a dozen parents at a public hearing Tuesday about the latest plan.

Most parents said they are glad the board is poised to scrap an earlier plan to start some elementary schools as early as 7:45 a.m.

“It would be extremely rushed in the morning,” said Erica Sabatino, who has a second-grader at Ocean Avenue Elementary School.

An early start would also conflict with early morning programs, such as chorus, that start at 7:45 a.m., she said. “I just feel like it will be a really stressful experience.”

The district had to change all school times because the board added 20 minutes to each school day, effective this fall.

The board will vote on the school times on May 5.

The latest proposal is to have all middle schools go from 7:55 a.m. to 2:25 p.m. Ocean, Riverton and Reiche elementary schools would go from 8:20 a.m. to 2:50 p.m. Hall, East End, Longfellow, Lyseth and Presumpscot elementary schools would go from 8:40 a.m. to 3:10 p.m.

The two elementary school groups have to start at different times because there are a limited number of school buses available to transport students.

“There are only so many dollars,” said board Chairwoman Sarah Thompson. “We appreciate the parents sharing their thoughts, and we’ve received a lot of positive emails” on the latest proposal.

The schedule previously approved by the board had Lyseth and three other elementary schools starting at 7:45 a.m., and parents started an online petition asking the district to have a later start time.

In addition to concerns about the early start for elementary students, parents said they worry that a staggered middle school schedule, with different end times, would cause problems with after-school sports and access to athletic fields, or problems with teachers at different schools working together.

One parent said Tuesday that she is concerned about the plan to have middle schools start at 7:55 a.m., instead of the current 8:35 a.m.

“An earlier start is exceptionally difficult,” said Karen Richards-Simboli. She has a fifth-grader at Hall Elementary School who will be in middle school in the fall.

Middle school students, Richards-Simboli said, are starting to stay up later, have more homework, and have limited time with their parents, particularly in families with two working parents.

The high school schedule, from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., remains unchanged.

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