Doubling up

School starts tomorrow for student in Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda, two towns hit hard by hurricane Charley. The majority (80%) won't be going to their usual school - they'll be guests at another until theirs reopens. This includes elementary, middle, and high schools.

For instance, the middle schools in Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda were trashed. Port Charlotte students will be guests at L.A. Ainger in Rotonda West (it's gonna be a long drive). Their day starts at 1:00 PM and ends at 6:00 PM (while the "home" students go from 7:00 AM to 12:00 AM). Punta Gorda Middle students will be bused across town to attend Murdock from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM, while the home students go from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM. 7:00 PM! Sure, they get to sleep in late, but that's going to really play havoc with some circadian rhythms.

The students of Charlotte High (in Punta Gorda) will be attending their "rival" school across the river: Port Charlotte High. Some 4,000 students and 350 faculty/staff will use the building daily. The "home" students go from 6:30 AM until 11:45 PM, while the guests from Charlotte High attend from 12:45 PM to 6:00 PM. I feel so sorry for these students: when I was in high school (Port Charlotte High: Go Pirates!), I worked a job after school to get money for college. I was a trainee agent with a three-lettered government agency, learning the oft-conflicting but strangely complementary arts of diplomacy and spycraft...What? You're not buying it? Oh, okay. I was a busboy (my coworkers and I did ask the waitresses to call us "busmen") at a restaurant that served prime rib (but good prime rib, or at least I thought so) to old folks. But I digress. How are these Charlotte High students going to hold down "after school" jobs? Although the area has certainly grown since I was in high school, I can't think of many places that will hire a teen to work mornings until noon. Restaurants? There aren't that many that serve breakfast. Movie theaters (there aren't that many anyway)? 9:00 AM ain't exactly rush hour for the movies.
As if these students didn't have enough to worry about with getting good grades, preparing for college or career, dodging the occasional ill-tempered classmate, and "fitting in" (a daunting prospect for any 16-year old - at least it was for me).

Best of luck to all of you: students, faculty, and staff.