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After-School Activities & SportsChanging School Start TimesThe Task Force recognizes that students need access to sports and co-curricular activities as part of their well-rounded education. Any change to school start times will result in a shift in the availability of school facilities and personnel for these offerings appended to the school day. Overall, after speaking with high school athletic directors across the country, the Task Force learned that sports and activity schedules will adjust to meet the needs of their students, whatever the school start schedule. In addition, the Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks, the agency that runs significant community-based sport leagues and after school offerings, will also adjust their schedules to match our school start schedules. These adjustments may include indoor and outdoor practices and/or games that go beyond 10:00 PM, which is the current end time for some Recreation & Parks practices and events that take place in AACPS school facilities or on school fields. These changes may also result in increased costs for custodians who will need to stay later than mandated by current AACPS contracts. Sports OverviewThe AACPS Athletic Program is viewed as an extension of the child's total educational experience. Each year, there are over 9,300 students participating in one or more of the 26 sports offered through the county, including the sports programs in every high school. AACPS works closely with the Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks to organize field usage throughout the school year. When not in use by an AACPS sports team, school fields and gymnasiums are used by accredited athletic organizations. To accommodate all athletics practices and competitions, fields and gymnasiums are scheduled back-to-back during peak sports seasons. Currently, there are 183 accredited adult athletic groups and 131 youth athletic groups who request access to AACPS facilities for practice and games. The Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks estimates that approximately 28,000 students participate in an after school sport during each sports season. In the winter, every elementary, middle, and high school gym is utilized during evening hours.
In the spring, fields (most of which do not have lights) are used every evening with an average of 15 students/hour using each field.
Advanced Co-Curricular Programs, Extra-Curricular Activities & ClubsThe co-curricular programs in Anne Arundel County Public Schools are intended to a) complement, broaden and provide a practical application of the knowledge students receive in regular classes and b) afford every child the opportunity to participate in activities for which they have a passion and interest. Programs are available in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) areas and in the Humanities (English, Social Studies, World Language, and the Arts). Approximately 3,000-5,000 AACPS students annually participate in co-curricular programs offered through the school system. Co-curricular programs are offered before, during, and after-school for elementary, middle, and high school students across the county. Like sports, co-curricular opportunities are offered in the fall, winter, spring, and summer.
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School Start Times Task Force | Anne Arundel County Public Schools | 410-222-5000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||