Local schools contemplate start time change
WHEN THE BELL RINGS. SHS students arrive at school. With first bell beginning at 7:20 a.m., SHS currently has a start time similar to the former start times of local schools who have since pushed back the time at which first bell begins. Perhaps SHS will soon follow the precedent set by local districts like Forest Hills and Indian Hill.
A few other schools that are surrounding SHS have decided to change their start time or are putting it into consideration.
Schools that have either made the change or are considering it include Indian Hill, Forest Hills, Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS), and Mason City Schools.
Students also have opinions on these different start times as they affect their sleep schedules and how they may perform in school.
“I’m looking forward to having the start time moved later because I’m really bad at getting up early to get ready for school, so it’s going to be really helpful for me,” said Gracie Harper, a freshman at Anderson High School.
Many schools have not yet changed their times but will be changing them for the new school year.
Students are looking forward to this change and to sleeping in. They will be able to tell us whether or not starting later will actually help them.
Forest Hills schools are going to be changing their start times from 7:20 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. next year in order to let the students have more time to sleep.
“A couple years ago, our school decided to move our starting times back a couple minutes. We originally had started at 7:35 a.m., but now our starting time is 8:00 a.m.,” said Gillian Dunahoe, a freshman at Indian Hill High School.
Indian Hill schools changed their start times during the 2016-17 school year. They were able to add 25 extra minutes for students each morning for grades 6-12.
“Even though this does add a few minutes to our end time, it has benefited me in allowing [for] more time to sleep.
“[It also gives us] more time in the morning to conference with teachers at school or get work done,” Dunahoe said.
Mason City Schools have also been exploring new start times. They have not yet decided on what they will be doing, but if there is a change, it will be implemented for the 2019-20 school year.
CPS has considered changing their start time but has not yet made any final plans. Like SHS, they would have to buy more buses, which could cost them up to $50 million as they use the Metro buses.
This not only lets students have more time to sleep in or to get ready in the morning, but it also allows teachers to have more time in the morning.
“I also think it’s going to be helpful for teachers because they can have all their faculty meetings… in the morning, and they don’t have to stay after school as long,” Harper said.
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