MoCo Board of Education to Consider Bell Times Options

Updated at 7 p.m.

A parent group advocating for later high schools start times says a proposal by the Montgomery County Public Schools superintendent to consider changes left out public involvement, won’t improve student health and “is a sham.”

The Montgomery County Board of Education will consider several options for adjusting school starting and ending times—also known as bell times—allowing high school students to begin classes later in the day. The board will hear a presentation on the options at its Jan. 13 meeting and will gather public input throughout January and early February, according to a news release.

The local chapter of Start Schools Later issued a release saying Superintendent Joshua Starr’s recommendation to delay high school start times by 20 minutes “is a sham that demonstrates a poor understanding of the research, as the document understates the significant academic, health, and emotional benefits of later start times for teens. It includes no mention of the risks associated with early start times, including more dropouts, substance abuse, depression, and suicide.”

Board of Education President Patricia O’Neill urged the public to learn more about the options and share their thoughts and concerns.

“Any change to our starting and ending times will have an impact on every student, parent, and employee in Montgomery County Public Schools, so it is important that our citizens understand the options we are considering and let their voices be heard,” O’Neill said.

“In drafting this report, Dr. Starr excluded the participation of community stakeholders,” the Start Schools Later leaders wrote. “A more transparent, inclusive process could have provided a better report and meaningful recommendations. … Whichever one is finally approved, it should call for middle and high school start times after 8:30 am, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.”

The school system says any changes to bell times would be approved on Feb. 10 as part of the board’s fiscal year 2016 operating budget request to the Montgomery County Executive and County Council. The annual costs of the proposals before the board range from zero to nearly $6 million.

The board will hold two public hearings on bell times, both on Thursday, Jan. 22, in the auditorium of the Carver Educational Services Center at 850 Hungerford Drive in Rockville. The first hearing will run from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. and the second will run from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Those wishing to testify should call 301-279-3617 to reserve a spot, starting at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 15. All speakers will have three minutes. Written feedback can be sent to belltimes@mcpsmd.org and should be submitted before the close of business on Monday, Feb. 2.

Superintendent Joshua P. Starr is recommending that the board consider no-cost options, given concerns about budget deficits at the state and local level.

“I have said all along that I would like high school to start later in the day in order to support the health and well-being of our students,” Starr said. “But we must balance this decision against the other needs and priorities we have in the district and ensure any changes to high school bell times do not place an unfair burden on other students and their families. At this point, given the projected budget shortfalls, I believe the only options that should be considered are those that do not add any additional cost to the budget.”

The board asked Starr to develop other options for changing bell times that would cost no more than $10 million a year. The board has been presented with five new options regarding bell times, with some having different variations for consideration:
• Shift all start times 20 or 35 minutes later;
• Start elementary school first;
• Modify Starr’s October 2013 recommendation;
• Split the high school day; and
• Make no changes to bell times and explore other options to provide flexibility for high school students.

Some of the options will have little or no budgetary impact, while others will have annual costs between $2.6 million and $5.85 million. Transportation is the driving factor behind the cost of these proposals. In order to run an efficient and economical transportation system, most MCPS buses complete four runs in the morning and the afternoon. School starting and ending times must give buses enough time to complete one route and get to the next one. Each option the board is considering will affect transportation costs differently.

View a summary of the options the Board will consider
Read the Bell Times—Analysis of Additional Options report