Students in the North Kitsap School District will be released 50 minutes early every Wednesday starting in September.

The school board approved the schedule change 4-0 March 10. Board member Tom Anderson abstained.

The change is part of the district’s effort to provide more collaboration time between teachers. Currently, teachers are provided with five non-student days per school year to work together.

Though all board members supported the idea of teacher collaboration time, Anderson questioned whether all teachers are making use of the time. He said he would like to see a plan created for teachers not currently in collaboration groups before implementing the new schedule.

Bus schedules will be adjusted to meet the change and high school students will typically arrive home before elementary students on Wednesdays.

The new schedule means students will attend the required 180 days, instead of 175. In the past, the district applied for “waiver days” from the state in order to keep students home for five days out of the year.

“We’re not asking for another waiver, because we have found an effective model,” Assistant Superintendent Shawn Woodward said during the board meeting.

North Kitsap was the only school district without early release or late start in the county. Bremerton, for example, releases students two hours early every Wednesday.

The district took public input on the schedule change.

A parent survey was issued in December 2010, with 675 responding.

According to the final proposal, 495 respondents preferred an early release to a late start, and 356 said the change would not have a negative impact on families. The majority of respondents (411) said Friday would be the best day for a late start or early release, followed by Monday (112). The majority of respondents prefer the current schedule.

Attendees raised concern about the lack of options to oppose the change.

“The survey was very one-sided,” said parent Adam Derr, speaking to the board.

Derr agreed the district asked for parent input, but with the lack of space for opposition, the district already had a plan in mind.

Jill Armstrong also spoke against the change, saying teachers were not being held accountable for using collaboration time effectively. She said 50 minutes is “an insufficient amount of time.”

“Better off rolling it into a full day every other month,” Armstrong said.

Staff and faculty in attendance supported early release.

Poulsbo Elementary School first-grade teacher Jessica Eisenbraun said that in order to find time for teachers to collaborate, the school uses librarians and counselors to fill in as teachers occasionally.

“Those staff are not being used efficiently,” she said.