School Start Times

Interesting that in the span of a few weeks Boston Public Schools walked back its decision to change start times for all of its schools. It is clear that a later start time for high school students would be beneficial for them since the internal clock of a teenager is set for late nights and sleeping in a little bit. This is where most of the dialogue regarding start times centers when school districts consider what school hours should be. If the decision about start times was solely related to 9-12 grade, then the decision to start later is very easy. High school students will perform better if they can start their school day at 8:00 or later.

The problem that Boston ran into was the fact that there are children who are in grades pk-8. These students also have needs, and, while they might perform better early in the day than high schoolers, it became very clear, very quickly that small children should not be on a bus at 6:15 in the morning. Also very clear was the fact that earlier start times would mean earlier end of day times for these students. This would mean higher costs to working parents for after school care or programs. It also would cause issues for those families where the high school student has been the care provider for younger siblings after school as now the younger children would potentially be home alone for extended periods of time waiting for their siblings to get home.

Huge issues: safety for young children waiting for buses at early hours, day care and after school costs, buses and transportation, athletics, and after school jobs. All of these have to be taken into account if a big city or a poorer community try to take on the issue of whether or not to change school hours. Some communities in Massachusetts have successfully figured this out and have later start times for high schools. However, districts with many schools are tied up by bus schedules and budgets. They are usually the main child care providers for working families.

As a high school administrator, I see the potential benefits of a later start for my students. As my school is private and 9-12, the path seems clear to a later start. Until you start to ask parents about what they think. Then, their concerns come about care for their younger children, the need for their high schoolers to work, and the need for string athletic programs to keep their children on the straight and narrow. As a person who cares about the whole student and that student's family, I see that any school must proceed with caution when it comes to changing hours. Any district needs to recognize the needs of high school students but start any changes with a focus on the needs of its most helpless students.