Westford Public Schools Considers Start Time ChangesWestford Public Schools Considers Start Time Changes The Westford School Committee has initiated discussions on potential adjustments to start times for Westford Public Schools. The committee has reviewed national trends and neighboring school systems, noting that Westford has the seventh earliest high school start time among 24 nearby districts. To address concerns about the impact on families and schedules, the committee has explored multiple options, including: * 8:00 a.m. start for middle and high schools, 8:50 a.m. for grades 3-5, and 9:10 a.m. for kindergarten through second grade. * 8:00 a.m. start for middle school, 8:20 a.m. for high school, 8:50 a.m. for grades 3-5, and 9:10 a.m. for kindergarten through second grade. Research supports the benefits of later start times for adolescents, including improved development, sleep quality, and classroom performance. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that teens receive eight to 10 hours of sleep per night. However, data shows that 69% of high school students sleep seven hours or less on school nights. The subcommittee cites potential benefits of shifting start times, such as increased attendance rates, reduced disciplinary actions, and improved student outcomes. The goal is to implement changes with minimal disruption to elementary school schedules and after-school activities. Currently, Westford Academy’s school day begins at 7:35 a.m. Any schedule change may necessitate additional buses and routes, impacting bus costs. Discussions are ongoing, and no final decision has been made regarding start time changes for the 2024-2025 school year. The committee is actively seeking feedback and input from the community.
WESTFORD- The School Committee recently heard updates on proposed changes to Westford Public Schools start times.
The committee met on June 17 to discuss the school start time update.
The School Committee discussed national trends and neighboring school systems. Of the 24 neighboring school systems, Westford had the seventh earliest high school start time.
School Committee member Sean Kelly said one of the goals of moving up the start times is to limit or keep the number of routes the same to reduce costs and minimize the impact on school schedules.
In February, the committee discussed school start times by reviewing previous work by other subcommittees. In 2019, a student citizen advisory committee collected a survey that received over 4,000 responses, indicating a near-universal preference for start times between 8:00 and 8:30.
Concerns about a time change among families about after-school activities, jobs and care, after-school programming and the additional transportation costs halted the implementation of a schedule change at the time.
The committee reviewed a presentation from February to assess how Westford might consider changing school schedules.
Options discussed included an 8:00 a.m. start time for both the middle and high schools, then an 8:50 a.m. start time for grades three through five, followed by a 9:10 a.m. start time for kindergarten through second grade. Or an 8:00 a.m. start time for the middle school, an 8:20 a.m. start time for the high school, an 8:50 a.m. start time for grades three through five, and a 9:10 a.m. start time for kindergarten through second grade.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, school start times are too early. For adolescents, adjusting start times to at least 8:30 a.m. was associated with improved development and sleep quality, according to a 2022 research paper published by the academy.
Additionally, research has shown that sleep patterns impact classroom performance. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that teens regularly get eight to 10 hours of sleep per night. However, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that insufficient sleep is common among teens, with 69% of high school students reporting they sleep seven hours or less on school nights.
Members of the School Start Time subcommittee also cite an increase in attendance rates, reduced disciplinary actions, a decrease in the number of car accidents involving students, an increase in student GPAs, as well as higher scores on assessments and college admissions tests.
The goal is to shift start times for high schools and colleges to 8 a.m. or later with minimal impact on elementary school schedules. Other priorities include minimizing or maintaining the number of buses in use and considering after-school schedules. The Westford Academy school schedule currently starts at 7:35 am
A schedule change may require more buses and add 10 to 20 additional bus routes, which would impact bus costs.
Discussions are ongoing and no decision has yet been made regarding a change to school start times for the 2024 to 2025 school year.
