Livingston Schools Open Later This Year Amid Movement For Later Start Times

LIVINGSTON, NJ — As kids and parents get used to the back-to-school routine — school kicked off this past Thursday in Livingston — they're also getting used to slightly later start times.

The new starting times for the district's six elementary schools — still before 8 a.m. — may not be late enough for two New Jersey legislators who think schools should start after 8.

(See 2022-23 Livingston school calendar highlights here).

Superintendent Matthew Block sent a letter to families last week that read:

"There will be a change in the start and end times at our elementary schools!

"This year, doors to our elementary schools will open at 7:30 a.m. School will start at 7:55 a.m. (five minutes later than last year). This shift will provide an additional ten minutes for the morning drop off window, an important increase from last year. The school day will also end five minutes later at 2:42 p.m. As is true at the beginning of all school years, transportation, traffic, and lunch always present a number of logistical challenges. Difficulties in these areas can be heightened by inclement weather, and other surprises."

In Livingston, high school still starts at 7:50 a.m., and the middle schools start after 8. See specific start times and the times for delayed openings here.

Growing Movement

There's a growing movement in the United States to have schools, particularly high schools, start after 8, based on studies showing high school students are getting to bed too late and not getting enough sleep in mornings.

New Jersey Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and Sen. Vin Gopal recently introduced a bill for high schools to start at 8:30 a.m. or later. Many in New Jersey start before 8.

Livingston isn't the only local district that's pushing school start times to a little later in the day.

Last year, after much discussion, Millburn began starting its high school and middle school after 8. Chatham also made changes to starting times this year.

Superintendent Block noted in his letter, "Please expect that...traffic will be extra slow and congested. Bus routes, as well-planned as they may be, will be imperfect, and some buses may be off schedule. Please also recognize that the lunch line is likely to move more slowly as our students adjust to new purchasing logistics. We will be doing everything we can to help parents and students navigate these logistics. If history is any indication, both the traffic and the lunch logistics will become significantly quicker by mid September."

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