Published in the March 30, 2016 edition
WAKEFIELD — School officials here plan “to start the conversation” about pushing back the starting times at some or all Wakefield schools following a recommendation from Middlesex League superintendents that they do so.
Supt. Dr. Kim Smith said today that the discussion will commence shortly among members of the School Committee’s Policy Subcommittee, who will be asked to look at the issue from every angle. Among the questions: How would it be implemented? What are the obstacles? What are the trickle down effects?
Smith said the public’s input is vital to the discussion as well.
Current starting times in Wakefield are as follows: Wakefield Memorial High, 7:30 a.m.; Galvin Middle School, 7:50 a.m.; elementary schools, 8:45 a.m.
The Middlesex superintendents are recommending starting times between 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. for high school students in communities throughout the league by the 2018-19 academic year.
Last Tuesday, the Melrose School Committee approved an 8:15 a.m. start time at the high school and Veterans Memorial Middle School effective in the 2017-18 year.
In a memo Melrose Supt. of Schools Cyndy Taymore wrote, “With any change, we cannot please everyone. However, the goal here is to do what is in the best interest of children, based in scientific research. Moving to 8:15 will not guarantee all children are on time for school; will not prevent individual students from staying up too late; and will not guarantee everyone is on task all day. However, we will improve the probability of better outcomes for students academically, physically and social-emotionally.
“In the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report issued on Aug. 7, 2015, authors noted that, ‘adolescents who do not get enough sleep are more likely to be overweight; not engage in daily physical activity; suffer from depressive symptoms; engage in unhealthy risk behaviors such as drinking, smoking tobacco, and using illicit drugs; and perform poorly in school. However, insufficient sleep is common among high school students, with less than one third of U.S. high school students sleeping at least 8 hours on school nights.’
“Our responsibility as a school district is to optimize our programs and opportunities in order to provide our students with the education and resources they need to be successful as learners and as members of our community,” Taymore concluded.
A memo from the Middlesex League superintendents states, “The research is clear on this topic that later start times best support the social and emotional needs of our high school students. The Middlesex League Superintendents collectively wanted to express our clear support for later high school start times. Our intention is to commit to a deadline and to the necessary consensus building required to make a change in long-standing practice. Doing what is right for adolescents will mean changing adult schedules and behaviors. Ultimately, the choice to change will distill down to what communities value most.
“To this end, our League goals are as follows:
• High School start times between 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. for all Middlesex League High Schools by the start of the 2018-2019 school year. (Current start times range from 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m.)
• After-school competitions will be scheduled so that students do not routinely miss academic time
“The expression of our intentions and our timetable should provide ample opportunity to address all stakeholder concerns and to reallocate existing funding or commit to the new funding that may be needed to implement later start times. Moreover, by setting a timeline for fall 2018, we believe districts, families and organizations that oversee athletic competitions, academic competitions and other student activities will have sufficient time to prepare for a change that will benefit all our students.
“We hope this joint statement is the first of many as we work together across our respective communities to implement practices that are in the best interest of children,” the superintendents write.
