Members of the Ellsworth-Kanopolis-Geneseo USD 327 School Board expect to decide at their May meeting whether the district will change the schedule at Kanopolis Middle School, starting with the 2019-20 school year.

Meanwhile, officials are seeking input from district patrons on the possible change.

“This is just an information item because there is a lot to process,” Superintendent Dale Brungardt told board members Monday night.

Under the plan reviewed by KMS principal Eric Stoddard, students would start the day at 7:45 a.m. and dismiss at 2:50 p.m. Students now start classes at 8:10 a.m. and end the day at 3:20 p.m.

The change also would move more students to Kanopolis for breakfast, Brungardt said. At present, only eight to 10 Kanopolis students eat at KMS. That number would grow to about 30 under the plan.

Brungardt said the change is being considered because the new hours would make it easier for teachers who work at both Kanopolis and Ellsworth. It also would benefit students because studies show children that age learn better in the mornings than they do later in the day.

District athletic director Ron Davis said the earlier dismissal time also would help eliminate the need to take separate district vehicles to away sports events because the students don’t have enough time to make the bus.

“There are positives and negatives. We’re just going to have to weigh them,” Brungardt said.

The next board meeting is at 7 p.m. Monday, May 13, at the district office at Ellsworth.

In other business:

• Cats Pride donated $1,262 to the girls’ tennis and softball teams. The board also accepted a $1,500 gift from the inmate chapter of the Jaycees at the Ellsworth Correctional Facility. The money will go to the cross country program.

• Board members agreed to earmark $1,000 in wind farm money to the robotics class at Ellsworth Junior/ Senior High School and $2,697 for iPads for use by coaches at sporting events.