School Start Times

IN OTHER COMMUNITIES A recent Boston Globe article states “Massachusetts has one of the earliest start times for secondary school students in the nation, according to a report last year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On average, the morning bell for middle and high schools in Massachusetts rings at 7:53 a.m. — 10 minutes earlier than the national average — while less than 12 percent of all middle and high schools statewide start at 8:30 a.m. or later, according to the report” (Vaznisk, 3/10/16). Further, according to the ABRSD Wellness Advisory Committee Report, ABRHS and RJ Grey have some of the earliest start times in the local area. The report states that AB had the second earliest start time in the 27 districts surrounding Acton and those in the Dual County League (DCL) (page 13). Of those districts on the list in the Wellness Report, many are considering or have changed their start times to be later in the day. We met with (in person or on the phone) administrators or representatives from School Committees or School Start Time Committees from several districts. Sharon School District moved their high school start time from 7:25 to 8:05 AM for the 2010-2011 academic year. In discussions with the principal of the high school, he relayed that in his opinion there “are no cons” to this decision. His overriding statement was that when considering what’s best for the kids and their health, the later start time is the right decision. He presented data from the state that showed a marked decline in absentee rates in his school district following the change. He said that there would not be one kid in the school that would now say to move the start time back to 7:30 am. He said certainly there are logistical issues but all of these can be overcome if academics and student well-being are prioritized. Other discussions were held with Ashland, Wayland, Concord-Carlisle, and Natick School Districts. Ashland’s school start time for 2017-2018 will be 8:20 am for the high school and 8:15 am for the middle school. Currently their school start times are 7:30 am and 7:50 am. Concord-Carlisle will move the school start time for 2017-2018 to 8:00 am for the high school and 8:12 am for the middle school. (If the CC annual budget is approved, they did not anticipate any issues with the budget passing.) Each of these people stated the same big issues in terms of challenges when changing start times: 1) bus schedules/transportation, 2) extracurricular activities, and 3) child care

issues. But each of the districts found ways to address these issues. Each emphasized the importance of consistently focusing on the well-being of the students and the prioritizing of academics. Each also emphasized that communication is key during the process. Many other nearby districts including Lincoln-Sudbury, Waltham, and Wayland are considering changing their start times to be 8:00 am or later. Other districts considering the change are in the ABRHS Wellness report and for information on the movement nationwide, the web page www.startschoollater.net provides a listing by state. The Natick and Newton districts considered the change but did not end up changing start times for the upcoming school year. Logistical issues (scheduling and costs) could not be overcome at the current time to accomplish moving the start times. It is our understanding that both districts are to some extent continuing to work on the issue for possible re-consideration in the future. For more information. . . Ashland   http://ashlandhs.libguides.com/StartTimes         Natick:   http://www.natickps.org/about/policies/school_start_time_resources       Sharon:   http://www.sharon.k12.ma.us/pages/Sharon_Public_Schools/Main_Menu/General_Information /Special_Projects/Previous_Special_Projects/School_Start_Time       Concord   http://www.concordps.org/events/event/cchs-­‐later-­‐start-­‐time-­‐initiative-­‐public-­‐forum/