Duncan U. Fletcher High School students return Monday to a reworked bell schedule and a substantially different traffic pattern, according to a message to families from Principal Dean Ledford.
New Schedule
The regular schedule runs a warning bell at 7:05 a.m., first period at 7:10 a.m. and dismissal at 2:05 p.m. Fifth period spans 10:50 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and absorbs both lunch periods: first lunch runs 10:50 to 11:20 a.m., with those students in class from 11:25 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., and second lunch runs 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., with class time from 10:50 to 11:40 a.m. Lunch assignments are by the teacher's last name.
Wednesdays follow a modified schedule the school calls Mental Health Wednesday. Start and dismissal times do not change, but first period is shortened to 45 minutes and second period is extended to 8 to 9:15 a.m., with a health lesson from 8:45 to 9:15 a.m. Lunch shifts to 11 to 11:30 a.m. and 11:55 a.m. to 12:25 p.m.
Parking
The parking changes are the bigger adjustment. All student drivers must now use the West lot, Ledford said, with entrances at the southwest end of Seagate Avenue and the northeast end of Fifth Street. Any non-numbered space is open to students, and there is no student parking on the east side of the school. Students will enter through the new walkway between the tennis courts and the pool. Beginning the second week of school, a parking pass is required to park on campus.
Parents dropping off students are asked to use the East lot, which doubles as the faculty lot. Ledford asked that parents not park in those spaces.
Ledford also urged families to build in extra time, noting that more than 2,100 students and more than 120 faculty members arrive at the same site within the same window.
Classes begin Monday, Aug. 10, the first day of the school year across Duval County Public Schools.
