TAVARES, Fla. – In an effort to compete with the growing number of area charter schools the Lake County School District is considering a new proposal to help struggling students.
Lake County Schools Superintendent Diane Kornegay's proposal would make the school day and year longer, but only for students who need it, she told News 6.
The plan would extend the school day by an hour, and the school year to 11 months. The proposal includes all of the district's 43 schools.
Kornegay said the extended time in school will be a pilot program to help struggling students.
Kornegay emphasized that changes are needed to improve the district's "C" grade from the state. She is proposing to shift funding from other areas to pay for the plan.
The extended days would start at first as a pilot program at a few struggling schools and if it's successful it would be implemented district wide, Kornegay said.
For now, the proposal is just one idea and she would not implement anything without input from parents and teachers. The school board plans to discuss the idea in July.
The proposal is a discussion that needs to happen as Gov. Rick Scott pushes for more funding for more charter schools, Kornegay said.
"We need to be the best choice and that's what it's all about," Kornegay said.