In Stone Creek in southwest Marion, school supplies were donated to needy children
Stone Creek Cares for Kids, which supports the Marion County Public Schools’ program for homeless/needy children, donated school supplies Tuesday afternoon.
Summer is over for Marion County Public Schools students. They will return to school on Monday, August 12.
According to the Florida Department of Revenue, parents and guardians can take advantage of the 2024 back-to-school sales tax-free period, which began July 29 and ends August 11.
When does school start in Ocala?
Kevin Christian, spokesman for the school district, said in a recent email that school start and end times will be different this year.
“Bell times have been adjusted to allow for more punctual arrival of school buses, using a three-tiered approach where buses transport elementary students first, followed by separate trips for middle and high school students,” he wrote.
Here are the school times:
| ELEMENTARY LEVEL | AT BELL TIME | Clock bell time |
| Anthony | 7:35 am | 14:10 |
| Belleview | 7:35 am | 14:10 |
| Belleview Santos | 7:35 am | 14:10 |
| College Park | 7:35 am | 14:10 |
| Dr NH Jones | 7:45 o clock | 14:05 |
| Dunnellon | 7:35 am | 14:10 |
| Eastern puppet | 7:35 am | 14:10 |
| Eighth Street | 7:35 am | 14:10 |
| Emerald Coast | 7:35 am | 14:10 |
| Fessenden | 7:35 am | 14:10 |
| Fordham Early Learning Academy | 8:00 AM | 14:20 |
| Fort McCoy K-8 | 8:00 AM | 14:35 |
| Green Way | 7:35 am | 14:10 |
| Hammett Bowen, Jr. | 7:35 am | 14:10 |
| View of the harbor | 7:35 am | 14:10 |
| legacy | 7:35 am | 14:10 |
| Madison Street Academy | 8:00 AM | 14:20 |
| Maple wood | 7:35 am | 14:10 |
| Marion Oaks | 7:35 am | 14:10 |
| Oak comb | 7:35 am | 14:10 |
| Ocala Springs | 7:35 am | 14:10 |
| Reddick-Collier | 7:35 am | 14:10 |
| Romeo | 7:35 am | 14:10 |
| Saddle wood | 7:35 am | 14:10 |
| Shady Hill | 7:35 am | 14:10 |
| South Ocala | 7:35 am | 14:10 |
| Sparr | 7:35 am | 14:10 |
| Stanton-Weirsdale | 7:35 am | 14:10 |
| sunrise | 7:35 am | 14:10 |
| Ward Highlands | 7:35 am | 14:10 |
| Wyoming Park | 7:35 am | 14:10 |
| CENTER | ||
| Belleview | 9:20 am | 15:55 |
| Dunnellon | 9:20 am | 16:11 |
| Fort King | 9:20 am | 16:11 |
| Fort McCoy K-8 | 8:00 AM | 14:35 |
| Horizon Academy in Marion Oaks | 9:20 am | 16:11 |
| Howard | 9:20 am | 16:11 |
| Lake Weir | 9:20 am | 16:11 |
| Freedom | 9:20 am | 16:11 |
| North Puppet | 9:20 am | 16:11 |
| Osceola | 9:20 am | 15:55 |
| HIGH | ||
| Belleview | 8:30 AM | 3:00 p.m. |
| Dunnellon | 8:30 AM | 3:00 p.m. |
| Forest | 8:30 AM | 3:00 p.m. |
| Hillcrest | 9:05 am | 3:00 p.m. |
| Lake Weir | 8:35 am | 3:45 p.m. |
| North Puppet | 8:30 AM | 3:00 p.m. |
| vanguard | 8:30 AM | 3:00 p.m. |
| Westhafen | 8:30 AM | 3:00 p.m. |
Which schools in Marion County offer free breakfast and lunch to all students?
In a separate email, Christian wrote, “The Marion County Public Schools Nutrition and Food Department will provide free breakfast and lunch to all students at 54 school sites during the 2024-2025 school year, regardless of family income.”
These schools are:
- Anthony Elementary School
- Acceleration Academy
- Belleview Elementary School
- Belleview High
- Belleview Center
- Belleview Santos Elementary School
- College Park Elementary School
- Dr. NH Jones Elementary School
- Dunnellon Elementary School
- Dunnellon College
- Dunnellon Center
- East Marion Elementary School
- Eighth Street Elementary School
- Emerald Shores Elementary School
- Fessenden Primary School
- Fordham Early Learning Academy
- Waldhoch
- Fort King Middle
- Fort McCoy K-8
- Greenway Elementary School
- Hammett Bowen Jr. Elementary School
- Harbour View Primary School
- Hillcrest School
- Horizon Academy in Marion Oaks
- Howard Middle
- Lake Weir High
- Lake Weir Center
- Legacy Elementary School
- Freedom Center
- Madison Street Academy
- Maplewood Elementary School
- Marion Charter
- Marion Oaks Elementary School
- Marion Technical Institute
- McIntosh Area School
- North Marion High
- North Marion Middle
- Oakcrest Elementary School
- Ocala Springs Elementary School
- Ocali Charter High
- Ocali Charter Middle
- Osceola Middle School
- Reddick Collier Elementary School
- Romeo Elementary School
- Saddlewood Elementary School
- Shady Hill Elementary School
- South Ocala Elementary School
- Sparr Elementary School
- Stanton-Weirsdale Elementary School
- Sunrise Elementary School
- Avant-garde high
- Ward Highlands Elementary School
- West Port High
- Wyomina Park Elementary School
School bus safety, school zones, safety tips
When school starts, drivers have to remember the road traffic rules.
For example:
According to Ocala Police, the fine for failing to stop a school bus is between $200 and $400 plus 4 points on your license. For speeding in a school zone, the fine is between $156 and $456 plus 3 points on your license. The speed limit in school zones is 20 miles per hour.
In a recent press release, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles stated that 11,224 people illegally passed school buses during the 2022-23 school year. The press release states that this number comes from a survey of school bus drivers conducted by the Florida Department of Education.
According to the press release, more than 41,000 speeding tickets were issued nationwide in 2023 in school or work zones.
The press release also states: “Using a hand-held wireless communication device while driving in a designated school crossing, school zone, or active construction zone is illegal and extremely dangerous.”
Mark Jenkins, spokesman for AAA, said in a press release: “Nationwide, nearly one in five children (ages 14 and under) killed in a traffic accident is a pedestrian.”
“Now is an important time to talk to your students about traffic laws and ways to stay safe. Discourage them from wearing earplugs or looking at digital devices while standing or walking near traffic lanes. Otherwise, they may not notice an approaching vehicle,” Jenkins wrote in the press release.
Time for school: When will children go back to school in Ocala and Marion County? What you need to know
AAA offers some safety tips for children at the bus stop: “Arrive at least 5 minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive, stop five steps from the curb, and wait until the bus has come to a complete stop and the bus driver signals for you to board.”
For more school safety tips, check out the school’s Open Drive Carefully campaign.
Contact Austin L. Miller at [email protected]
