School board approves later high school start time
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| Advocates for later school start times pack a school board meeting last month. [Photo from SLEEP.] |
The Fairfax County School Board by a vote of 11 to 1 Oct. 23 approved later start times for
high schools, beginning in the 2015-16 school year.
high schools, beginning in the 2015-16 school year.
High school would start
between 8 and 8:10 a.m. and end between 2:45 and 2:55 p.m. High
schools currently start at 7:20 a.m., which means some students wake up as
early as 5:45 a.m. to catch a bus.
between 8 and 8:10 a.m. and end between 2:45 and 2:55 p.m. High
schools currently start at 7:20 a.m., which means some students wake up as
early as 5:45 a.m. to catch a bus.
To make that work, the plan calls for middle schools to start earlier – 7:30 a.m. instead of the current 8 a.m. Elementary
school students will begin their day between 8 and 9:20 a.m. All elementary
schools will start at the same time or within five to 10 minutes of their
current start time.
The change will require the addition of 27
buses at a cost of $4.9 million.
buses at a cost of $4.9 million.
“The growing body of research on the health
benefits for adolescents has become so clear and compelling, we felt that we
had to make a change,” said school board chair Tammy Derenak-Kaufax.
benefits for adolescents has become so clear and compelling, we felt that we
had to make a change,” said school board chair Tammy Derenak-Kaufax.
A group of parent activists has
been working to get Fairfax County Public Schools to adopt later high school start times for the
past 10 years, citing the need for teens get an adequate amount of sleep. Mason
school board member Sandy Evans was one of the founders of the advocacy group SLEEP (Start Later for Excellence in Education Proposal).
been working to get Fairfax County Public Schools to adopt later high school start times for the
past 10 years, citing the need for teens get an adequate amount of sleep. Mason
school board member Sandy Evans was one of the founders of the advocacy group SLEEP (Start Later for Excellence in Education Proposal).
In August, the American Academy of Pediatrics
issued a policy statement that recommended later start times so that school
schedules would be aligned with the biological sleep rhythms of adolescents.
Other research found sleep-deprived students have shortened attention
spans, slower reaction times, lower test scores, poorer grades, increased rates
of depression, and higher risk of car crashes.
issued a policy statement that recommended later start times so that school
schedules would be aligned with the biological sleep rhythms of adolescents.
Other research found sleep-deprived students have shortened attention
spans, slower reaction times, lower test scores, poorer grades, increased rates
of depression, and higher risk of car crashes.
The school board adopted a resolution in April 2012
to seek solutions for establishing high school start times at 8 a.m. or later. The Children’s
National Medical Center’s Division of Sleep Medicine worked with a stakeholder
committee to develop a process for initiating change, and the committee
presented to the board earlier this year several scenarios for earlier high school start
times.
to seek solutions for establishing high school start times at 8 a.m. or later. The Children’s
National Medical Center’s Division of Sleep Medicine worked with a stakeholder
committee to develop a process for initiating change, and the committee
presented to the board earlier this year several scenarios for earlier high school start
times.
The board hosted a series of community outreach sessions last spring to seek feedback on four options.
One response to “School board approves later high school start time”
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Life is getting too easy for these kids. They should learn to sleep in class like I did.