DONALDSONVILLE - There are no plans to change the later start time for the five Ascension Parish schools on the west side of the Mississippi River, according to a spokesperson Thursday. Employees need the extra hour to detour around the damaged Sunshine Bridge near Donaldsonville, but the late start time is putting stress on parents.

"I'm getting my kids up an hour later and trying to catch the ferry or the bridge in Baton Rouge," said Stacy Nelson. She has two young children in Donaldsonville schools and she works in Gonzales on the opposite side of the river.

"Working people trying to make a living need some relief," she said. The later start time for school and the extended drive are costing Nelson hours of paid work every day to the point she's considering a second job.

A spokesperson for the Ascension Parish School District said the later start time could get adjusted but so far it hasn't.

Last Friday a barge carrying a crane struck the Sunshine Bridge. Vehicles are banned from crossing it until it's repaired which could take months.