Middle school day will end 20 minutes earlier next year

The Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191 Board of Education approved changing the end time of the instructional day at the district’s two middle schools from 2:50 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. starting with the 2022-23 school year. 

The shorter instructional day is possible after Eagle Ridge and Nicollet middle schools changed to a block schedule last year to reduce the number of transitions for students and allow for more flexibility to meet individual needs during core instructional periods. 

Changing to the earlier end time will free up 20 more minutes for school staff to engage in team work, professional development and family communication, and makes it easier for those middle school students who participate in afterschool activities at the high school. 

This is a change back to the end time that was in place before 2016. At that time, when the district changed to middle schools serving grades 6-8, the daily schedule was also changed to include 8 periods and the instructional day was lengthened to make that possible.