ATTLEBORO - The city's elementary schools will no longer have staggered starting and ending times beginning in September.

Superintendent Pia Durkin said that elementary and kindergarten class times will be standardized throughout the district beginning in the fall.

Instead of two-tiered schedules for the five elementary schools, all students in grades 1-4 and full-day kindergarten would report at 8:45 a.m. and be dismissed at 3:05 p.m.

All morning kindergarten classes will run from 8:45-11:15 and afternoon kindergarten 12:35-3:05 p.m.

Middle and high school schedules will open and close 10 minutes later than currently, although all grades and schools at those levels have previously operated on a single schedule. Currently, Studley and Willett elementary schools run from 8:30 a.m.-2:50 p.m. while classes at Thacher, Hill-Roberts and Hyman Fine elementary schools operate from 9 a.m.-3:20 p.m. while kindergarten times are also staggered.

Durkin, in a memorandum, said the changes will allow elementary classes to begin and end on a consistent schedule and remove confusion in the case of early dismissals.

The move will also save on transportation costs, she said.

Currently, the city's three middle schools run from 7:50 a.m.-2:20 p.m. while the high school operates from 7:15-1:50.