Radnor schools eye earlier start times

37-minute extension to high school day from 2:27 p.m. to

3:04 p.m.

Because of busing issues, the elementary schools would also delay starting by 15 minutes, from 9 to

9:15 a.m. and end at 3:45 instead of 3:30 p.m., and Radnor High School and Radnor Middle School students would ride buses together.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Medical Association have recommended adolescents get eight to 10 hours of sleep. Most teenagers, however, have a natural circadian rhythm that directs them to fall asleep later, which limits their ability to get enough sleep when they have to get out the door by

6:45 a.m. to be at school by

7:30 a.m.

Since those recommendations surfaced, parents in the district have urged officials to consider later start time for RHS. Also, expert speakers have been brought in to discuss the issue.

After listening to the committee’s presentation, board members had a slew of questions, including worries about increased costs, traffic from the new Penn Medicine complex being built across from RHS on King of Prussia Road, mixing middle and high schoolers on the same bus, private school students who ride the district’s buses and an increased length of time of bus rides for some students.

However, they also praised the committee and seemed receptive to working toward considering the changes.

A public meeting is set for Dec. 3 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Radnor Middle School for more discussion.

One issue — coordinating after-school sports with other districts — may not be as much of a hurdle as originally thought, said RHS Principal Dan Bechtold. He’s been in discussions with his counterparts, and games may be able to be moved to 4 p.m. Also, other districts, including Tredyffrin/Easttown, are considering later high school start times, as well.

Sleep committee member Jacqueline Kloss, a clinical psychologist, sleep researcher and a parent, answered the question of why the district should make this change.

“It is also true there are biological processes that occur at adolescence where the circadian rhythms are delayed,” Kloss said, “making it hard for our adolescents to fall asleep prior to 11 p.m. and wake up prior to 8 a.m.”

However, Radnor students are falling asleep around 11 p.m. or midnight then waking up at 6 a.m. to get to school by 7:30, she said.

“You can see clearly they’re probably getting around that seven-hour mark, which is well below the necessary requirements for them to achieve optimal health,” Kloss said.

Also, “there is mounting scientific evidence” of the adverse effects of teenagers not getting enough sleep, she said. These include increased depression and suicidal thoughts, more accidents and poorer academic performance. The later start time would not only allow students to get their eight to 10 hours of sleep per night, but also, it would be sleep that better aligns with their biological rhythms, she said.

Board President Lydia Solomon said that she was concerned about increased traffic from the Penn Medicine development across from the high school, which she’s heard called “Armageddon.”

John Hearn, director of transportation, recommended a police officer be hired to direct traffic on King of Prussia Road. Also, a new traffic light is to be installed at Raider and King of Prussia roads, along with a widened turning lane.

Hearn said a consultant will help the district study proposals for bus changes. Along with its own students, the district drives 3,500 students to 80 private schools, he said.

Quoting one of the sleep committee members, board member Amy Goldman said, “Opportunity costs. … The part of the sleep cycle that ends up getting compromised when our children get up too early in the morning and that’s the third and final phase of sleep, the REM cycle, which is where learning, memory consolidation and emotional regulation occur. What is the opportunity cost if we deprive our children of that? Can it be quantified in terms of dollars?”

She added, “How many students do we know in our district who are abusing substances? How many students do we know are underachieving? Getting injured unnecessarily? … What is the opportunity cost of being late to school because you simply can’t get out of bed or missing the content of that first-period class? … What is the opportunity cost in terms of suicide ideation or depression or anxiety? … One student dealing with those issues is a huge opportunity cost. … Because I’ve seen this first hand and I’ve read all about it, that’s what opportunity cost means to me.”

There will be more walking trails and bike paths because of the Radnor Trail extension and the Penn development, she said. She said the district has not had a bus ridership study in a long time, and many buses are half empty. She suggested parents opt into the bus for their children instead of opting out. There may also be a way of incentivizing families to use public transportation, too, she said.

Board member Michael Miller said that as a financial professional, he is concerned about the costs of the change to the district. He suggested checking with districts that have already done this.

“It’s always presented as a unicorn going over a rainbow,” said Miller. “Does it work out that well in reality with other schools that have done it? Also, the busing issues that some of these other districts have had, do they have the challenges that we have?”

He noted in addition to the 3,500 private school students, there are 3,700 Radnor students going to the RTSD’s five campuses.

“A lot of schools that started late have multiple schools on one campus,” he said.

Superintendent Kenneth Batchelor said they have been talking to other districts.

“You did hit the nail on the head in the fact that there’s a reality that this is an issue that is very particular to each particular school district,” Batchelor said. “There are circumstances around our district that are different than other districts.”

For example, there are districts that have a twotier bus system versus a three-tier bus system, he said.

Meanwhile, the board is expected to vote on whether to change the school starting times sometime next year.

Community members can give feedback by emailing sleep@rtsd.org.