Carlmont High Still Undecided on Late Start Time

Principal Raul Zamora requested more time from the Sequoia Union High School District board of trustees on Wednesday night to formulate a late start schedule for classes.

He said the school has been grappling with various coping strategies for a district initiative that requests all schools begin no earlier than 8:30 a.m.

A study shows the difficulty of establishing a fair late start time for all students due to along Alameda de las Pulgas between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. on weekdays.

Zamora presented a proposal to begin classes at 9 p.m., an hour later than they currently start, but said that would bring school start time into the peak of the area's worst traffic congestion.

He also said that students from East Palo Alto who take buses to Carlmont would not benefit from the late start because the congestion would still force them to leave early in order to make it to school on time.

"I dont think we are there yet for finding what best schedule fits for Carlmont," said Zamora.

The board granted Zamora more time to study what late start time schedule worked best for Carlmont.

The proposal to change the school’s schedule was prompted by studies that show teens need at least nine hours of sleep to function properly, and that the start time of 8 a.m. didn’t not normally allow for that once transportation time was included into a student’s day, said Superintendent James Lianides.

Wendy Smith, mother of a Carlmont student, spoke to the board in opposition of the proposal to start classes later.

Smith, who called the late start time proposal "shocking," said she feared parents would use the late start time as an excuse to allow their children to stay up later at night.

"I want my child to start school at eight, and I think other parents feel the same way," she said.

Smith said that should the school adopt a later start, she requested there be more "zero period" classes offered, which would begin before the regular start time.

Trustee Alan Sarver suggested that in light of the difficulties to get students from East Palo Alto to Carlmont by bus on time, the district should re-examine its boundaries which send students from one region to a particular district high school.

"I think we need to be considering how well the Ravenswood to Carlmont connection is serving the population as we go forward," said Sarver.

Asst. Superintendent Enrique Navas said changing the school's start time would negatively impact the district's bus schedule, and could result in increasing the district's need to hire charter buses to serve students.

Two of the district’s other high schools, Woodside and Menlo-Atherton, have already adopted late start schedules. Sequoia and Carlmont presented schedule changes last night, but neither were adopted.

Sequoia Principal Bonnie Hansen recommended the school's classes begin at 8:30 a.m. and get out at 2:40 p.m. But Sequoia High School does not face the same traffic congestion issues that Carlmont does.

Carlmont began researching start time alternatives last year. It's likely that the board will adopt a proposal before March, according to district documents.

Once a preferred schedule is adopted, it will likely go into effect next fall, according to a district report.