ORLANDO --  Parents and students were out in force Monday, hoping to convince Orange County school leaders to reverse a decision to swap the start times for middle-schoolers and high school students.

School Board member Rick Roach organized the meeting at Freedom High School to ask parents how else the School Board could cut its budget.

The district estimated the swap could save more than $2 million in bus costs, but many high schoolers feared getting out of school later would impact extracurricular activities, and even grades.

"If this takes effect, I won't be taking lacrosse, probably just getting a job after school, be working late. Probably grades won't do so great, because you get home late. Don't have much time to do homework," said Sean Murphy, a student who did not support the schedule change.

"People have good ideas. We've asked the community to take some ownership in this, and so I think this is the way you do it. If you don't like what's going on, then help us to find out what else we can do," Roach said.

Roach said he was hoping to convince the board to put this issue back on the table for discussion.

A protest was planned Wednesday outside School Board headquarters in Downtown Orlando.

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