POLL: Should Ridgefield's Board of Education Change School Start Times?

RIDGEFIELD, CT — Concerned that the current school schedule has a negative effect on students' health and performance, parents have pushed for the Ridgefield Board of Education to implement later start times to the school day.

The district announced Friday that the Board of Education has voted unanimously to develop an "implementation plan" for healthy school start times in the district. The plan would be set to implement the change during the 2018-2019 school year, to the chagrin of many who wanted to see the changes implemented for the upcoming year.

Below is a look at some of the main arguments in the debate.

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Basics

Under the current format, only the elementary schools begin after 8:30 a.m. Branchville, Ridgebury and Scotland elementary schools start at 8:35 a.m. and dismiss at 3:25 p.m. Barlow Mountain, Farmingville and Veterans Park Elementary Schools start at 9:10 a.m. and close at 4 p.m.

East Ridge and Scotts Ridge Middle Schools start at 8 a.m. and close at 2:50 p.m. Ridgefield High School starts at 7:25 a.m. and close at 2:15 p.m.

Largely, the debate so far has centered around start times at RHS and the middle schools, but proponents of later school start times say the issue does not just affect those schools, reports the Ridgefield Press.

Pros

The scientific community has supported the change in school start times. The 2014 American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that schools should start after 8:30 a.m., and that earlier school start times (before 8:30 a.m.) are a "key contributor to insufficient sleep, as well as circadian rhythm disruption."

A more recent study by researchers from the University of Kentucky published in the journal Sleep Health in February found that there was an association between early school start times and greater behavioral problems among elementary school students.

The Minnesota Sleep Society states that early school start times are causing many U.S. teens to experience negative health and safety impacts due to chronic insufficient sleep.

The National Sleep Foundation says that sleep deprivation can have a serious effect on a teen's quality of life, leading to behavioral problem, drug and alcohol use and a lower level of performance in academics and athletics.

The Ridgefield chapter of Start School Later, a national group of health professionals, sleep scientists, educators, parents and other stakeholders who advocate for later start times, highlights several low-and-no cost strategies that would allow the district to make the transition. The strategies include shortening the school day, in particularly shortening the elementary school day. You can view the strategies here.

Cons

While it does not appear that there are any arguments that students do not need more sleep, opponents argue that changing school times for schools would not solve the issue.

A petition with 267 supporters argues that delayed elementary school start times would result in students not getting home until after 4 or 5 p.m., eliminating time for out-of-school activities. However, a report from the Ridgefield Press did note that the creators of the petition did support later high school start times.

In a letter to the Ridgefield Press, Raymond and Catherine Sementini urged parents to set a stiff bedtime for their students, and enforce it properly. In a separate letter, RHS junior Callie McQuilkin argued that the later ending times would not help her get more sleep, and the later ending times would limit the time that a student has to do homework and for the RHS athletic programs.

McQuilkin further argued that high school students themselves should be making the decision on school start times, not parents or the board of education.

However, one of the largest hurdles to overcome is that of the cost. With the district's budget shrinking due to an uncertain amount of state funding, school officials have expressed concerns with the cost of leaving the current four-tiered bus system.

The Ridgefield Press, citing district transportation manager Rick Lupinacci, reports that switching back to a three-tier bus system would cost the district $395,000.

According to the News Times, Superintendent Karen Baldwin says that the district would have to devote significant resources toward the shift. The district has hired a consultant to analyze the school bus system's efficiency.

What do you think?

We want to hear from you. What do you think about the change in school start times? You can let us know by filling out the poll below, and you can leave a comment if you like.You can also let your fellow residents know your position by sending us a letter to the editor. You can send your letter to joe.lipovich@patch.com.

Public domain image via Wikimedia Commons