Start time survey splits community
Over half support later opening to give students more sleep
SOUTH COVENTRY >> A new survey conducted by the Owen J. Roberts School District shows that a little over half of parents and students surveyed support the idea of shifting to a later start and dismissal time at the middle and high schools. About 20 percent of staff members, however, agreed.
The results of the survey conducted last month were presented at Monday’s school board meeting as part of the district’s nearly year-long study of the topic. The district received over 2,000 survey responses — 1,352 parents, 446 students and 287 staff members. The results are available to view on the district’s website.
Tellingly, the survey results featured some of the anonymous comments the district received from respondents who fell on both sides of the issue.
“The sleep patterns of teens are different than those of adults,” said one comment. “Let teens get the sleep they need by making the start time later.”
“I believe altering the start time for middle/high school is not
teaching a valuable life lesson,” said another. “Life often begins before 8:30 am and employers are often are not flexible. It is important to set up healthy sleep and work ethics, and I disagree that switching the time would be effective.”
OJR is the third district in Chester County to consider altering start times. Unionville-Chadds Ford and Phoenixville districts are also looking at the logistics of changing start times. At this time, there are no recommended changes to the 2017-18 school schedule.
The district posed 10 questions on the survey and results show a slim majority of both parents and students support a schedule change, while a large majority of staff members asked oppose it.
The survey focused on topics like the level of satisfaction toward the current start time; if respondents thought they or their students were sleep deprived and whether they supported or opposed shifting the start time, given the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendation that teens start school no earlier than 8:30 a.m. due to how adolescent sleep and wake cycles change at the start of puberty.
Other questions gauged the level of support for a schedule change by focusing on the effect it might have on students. For example, a change in schedule could limit a student’s instructional time if they are involved in after school activities like sports.
Two questions focused on the option of offering more online and hybrid courses for students. Students who can provide their own transportation and who choose
to take these courses can arrive to school later and work on the online coursework at another time.
One question posed only to parents and staff asked if they supported raising taxes to pay for additional transportation costs if it meant school could start later.
If all students began at the same time, there would be a need for a 6.29-percent tax increase, which would translate to $264 for the average taxpayer, according to the survey. If the high school and middle school switched with the elementary school start time, the tax increase would be 1.84 percent, or $77 for the average tax payer. In that question, just under half of parents favored changing the schedule, while only about 15 percent of staff were in support.
The district then asked the groups to list three ways
to give students more sleep.
Parents suggested minimizing electronics consumption after 10 p.m., going to bed earlier and starting school later. Students
said reducing the level of homework, going to bed earlier and starting school later. Lastly staff members suggested going to bed earlier, minimizing electronics consumption after 10 p.m. and offering flexible scheduling for students with online and hybrid courses.
When the district then asked to list the best way to give students more sleep, parents and staff agreed going to bed earlier was most important. Students said reducing homework would be the best way.
The issue of possibly changing the schedule began
last May when three parents, a doctor and one teen addressed the school board to raise the issue of sleep deprivation in teens caused by early school start times.
They suggested changing to a start time no earlier than 8:30 a.m., based on a 2014 recommendation
by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Currently, high school and middle school classes begin at 7:30 a.m. and end at 2:15 p.m.
In September, the school board asked the district to form a stakeholder committee to study the topic. For the next three months
the committee investigated the issue and the district then sent the survey to parents and staff Jan. 20. Students received the survey a week later. The district’s handling of this sparked some criticism from some who said it wasn’t taking the issue as seriously as it should.