Ridgefield Patch Readers Weigh In on School Start Time Debate

RIDGEFIELD, CT — The Ridgefield Board of Education has already voted to form an "implementation plan" for a change in school start times after a strong wave of support at public meetings, but a recent Patch poll shows that Ridgefield Patch readers are much more torn on the hot-button issue. Over the past 48 hours, 248 readers answered a poll on school start time giving various responses.

Of the 248 responses, 44.76 percent of voters (111) felt that only the high school should start at a later time, which took the slight majority of the vote. However, 33.87 percent of voters said that school start times should "absolutely not" be changed, the second-largest portion of the vote.

Here's a rundown of the results as of 2:22 p.m. on March 9:

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• All schools should start later: 4.03% (10 votes)
• Only the high school should start later: 44.76% (111 votes)
• I am not sure: 2.02% (5 votes)
• I am leaning towards saying no, but I am open to changing my mind: 10.08% (25 votes)
• Absolutely not: 33.87% (84 votes)
• Other: 5.24% (13 votes)

While more voters were in favor of a change in hours for the high school, 10 percent of voters were leaning towards saying no to a change but were open to changing their minds.

Largely, the debate so far has centered around start times at RHS and the middle schools, but there has been discussion of a change for all of the district's schools. Proponents argue that it is unhealthy for students to begin the school day as early as they do, and say that there are both academic and cost-saving benefits to a change.

However, opponents say that ending the school day later could limit students time for out-of-school activities, and the move could force the district to change it's current bus system.

The open-ended selection in the poll, "other", rendered different responses. About half of the "other" voters felt that Ridgefield High School and the middle schools should later and the elementary schools should start earlier. However, some went in a different direction.

"8 - 9 a.m. start times for all schools at all all levels would be ideal," one voter wrote.

"Start whenever as long as their is no increased cost," wrote another.

"I'm mixed but the HS is def too early but parents need to do more turning off tv," another voter wrote.

Some readers also voiced their opinions in the form of comments.

"I understand the need for the HS to start later. I had 3 children who went to the HS. The problem that I see is that, if all schools are pushed to a later starting time, the students in the late elementary schools will be getting home at nearly 5:00pm. That prevents them from having any time for extracurricular activities and, for some of the younger students, they'll need to go to bed within a few hours of getting home. I know it's a difficult situation; if you push the HS much later, they won't be able to participate in sports activities, the younger students won't have time for homework or after school activities. I think if you decide to move the HS later you are just going to have to decide to spend more on transportation so that there are only 3 bus routes instead of 4. Or you could come up with a plan where the HS students must commit to using the buses or not. Many of those buses are running with very few students. I have relatives whose public school buses are paid for on an individual basis," wrote commenter Elizabeth MacKie.

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