INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Fla. — The School Board of Indian River County unanimously approved new arrival and departure times for the 2026-27 school year during its meeting Monday evening.
High school start and end times will shift by 15 minutes, while middle school, K-8, and elementary school times will shift by 10 minutes.
Current and proposed times are as follows:
High School
Current: 7:05 a.m. 1:52 p.m. Proposed: 7:20 a.m. – 2:07 p.m.
Middle and K-8 Schools
Current: 8 a.m. – 2:41 p.m. Proposed: 8:10 a.m. – 2:51 p.m.
Elementary School
Current: 8:50 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Proposed: 9 a.m. – 3:40 p.m.
The School District of Indian River County said it conducted a two-phase stakeholder engagement process before bringing the proposal to the board. The first round of surveys launched in November 2025, and a second round followed in January 2026 after the district analyzed initial feedback. Both surveys gathered input from families and staff across all grade levels.
A total of 432 family respondents indicated they were supportive of the proposed changes. Among staff, 193 employees indicated they were supportive or very supportive, according the district's proposal.
Beth Crisafulli, assistant superintendent of school leadership and management, said the schedule changes were developed with students, staff and families in mind.
"The proposed schedule adjustments were really designed to enhance student learning and to keep in mind operational efficiency and better aligned these school schedules with the needs of students, staff and families," Crisafulli said during Monday's meeting. "We took it upon ourselves to do two different rounds of surveys, one in the fall and one in the spring, to make sure we captured and gave families and staff the opportunity to share their thoughts about the times. Those results were overwhelmingly supportive for the time change."
School Board Chair Teri Barenborg said she pulled the item for discussion before the vote, noting the board's responsiveness to community input.
"I pulled this item, because this one was set in a law a few years ago and then adjusted to making sure that the board took action after listening to our community. And that has been done and I appreciate that and the movement of the time," Barenborg said. "It seems to be fair, we will see how it works once it starts and parents start realizing that we changed the times."
The new times will go into effect in August.
Wabasso School and IR Prep will maintain independent schedules, the school district said.
