Poll: Should School Start Later?

An ad-hoc committee, formed after approval from the East Greenwich School Committee last month, has begun exploring later start times for some or all students in the district.

The discussion will continue this Saturday with a screening of the film “Race to Nowhere.” The event was organized by members of the Start School Later East Greenwich group and The Academy Foundation.

There will be a panel discussion following the film, with East Greenwich Drug Program director Bob Houghtaling; Dr. Patricia Flanagan, president of the Rhode Island chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Dr. Kathering Sharkey, professor of sleep medicine at Brown University; and Dr. Fortunado Procopio, director of health services at the University of Rhode Island.

The panelists will discuss the film as well as the ramifications of later start times in East Greenwich and school districts across Rhode Island.

What do you, as a member of the East Greenwich community, think about implementing later start times? Participate in the poll below:

Join the conversation by posting a comment below. Should later start times apply to all grade school levels? Should both public and private schools exercise this idea?

Image via Shutterstock.