Attention parents and students in the Temecula Valley Unified School District: If you think high school starts too early at 7:30 a.m. and elementary school starts too late at 9 a.m., now is the time to speak out in support of later or earlier start times.
Temecula Valley Unified School District (File: Ashley Ludwig/SWRNN)
The district is surveying parents to determine if they support changing the start times to better accommodate modern student lifestyles, especially for sleep-deprived, night owl high school students.
Visit the district’s website at www.tvusd.k12.ca.us to take the brief online survey.
It was posted on the website the week of Aug. 20 and is expected to be posted online for a month, through about mid-September, said TVUSD spokeswoman Melanie Norton.
The issue of school start times– in particular, the advantages to teens of starting school later in the morning — isn’t a new one. It’s been debated locally in the past and also is the subject of ongoing debate nationwide.
“The dilemma has always been sports and after-school activities,” said Norton, noting that many students also are in band and other programs that meet after school. She said the board decided it’s time for a serious look at the issue.
In March, the district’s Assistant Superintendent of Education Support Services, Jodi McClay, made a presentation to the Governing Board about school start times.
Teens need 9.25 hours of sleep per night but usually don’t get it. (Flickr: jeremyfoo)
The district is now surveying parents to gather feedback and once McClay is finished collecting survey results, she will present those findings as well as a more detailed proposal about different start times to the school board sometime this fall, Norton said. She said McClay also is talking to school principals and other stakeholders.
Currently, high school hours for TVUSD schools are 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; middle school runs from 8:15 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. and elementary school goes from 8:55 a.m. to 3:20 p.m.
According to the research McClay presented to the school board in March, it’s natural due to biology for teens to stay up late – until 11 p.m. or later – and wake up later in the morning. They often feel wide-awake at bedtime even if they are exhausted so they feel tired in the morning.
Teens need 9.25 hours of sleep per night but usually don’t get it.
“Teenagers in the U.S. are seriously sleep-deprived,” according to the presentation. This harms their ability to perform academically, deal with stress, solve problems and retain information, the presentation stated. Other side effects of being sleep deprived include depression, irritability, poor impulse control, health complaints, decrease in academic and athletic performance and alcohol or tobacco use, according to the presentation.
The report said schools or districts in 19 states have pushed back start times and over 100 school districts and 17 states are considering doing so as well. Pushing back early start times has many advantages such as reducing tardiness and absenteeism, improving students’ grades and reducing depression, among other benefits, the report stated.
A few new scenarios were presented:
- High school could run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; middle school would go from 8 a.m. to 2:30; and elementary school would run from 8 a.m. to 2:25 p.m.
- A flex time schedule could be implemented: high school would run from either 7:45 to 2:45 or 8:45 to 3:45; middle school would run from 7:45 to 2:15 and elementary school would be from 7:50 to 2:15.
Challenges would include altering busing and staffing schedules as well as possible conflicts with extra-curricular activities and athletics.
Amy Bentley is a local writer and regular contributor to SWRNN.
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I am now thoroughly convinced school administrators are idiots. For children to begin school earlier they have to leave much earlier to catch the bus. Is it to be expected for small children to stand outside at 6:30 in the morning on cold, sometmes wet, days to wait for a bus? Small children catch colds and flu much more easily than older students. The entire premise of them beginning earlier is faulty.
When I was in school in the 60s, elementary, middle and high schools were staggared to allow parents to drop their children off in succession and to prevent traffic congestion. Today, few parents take their children to school, the majority are bussed. Traffic isn’t much an issue because schools aren’t next to each other like they once were. Why not start them all at the same time? Is there a problem with that? Then older siblings/children can watch over the younger at bus pick up points.
But that all makes too much sense and school administrators would never think of it. They are idiots.
What a big JOke this is! Oh lets give in to the teenagers and let them sleep in longer so they can be “awake” when school starts. this is a bunch of garbage! It does not matter what time school starts a teenager is a teenager and they will still stay up late and not want to wake up in themorning for school. How are we going to teach our kids responsibility, dedication and hard work and groom them for the working world if we give in to them. Can I ask my employer to let me start work an hour or two later on Mondays because I had a long exhausting weekend, NO! We need to teach these kids they need to be up early and start their day. I have always tried to get my highschooler to go to bed early every night, but I know being a teenager she wont. So I tell her ok, you have to deal with it in the morning then when its time to get up for school at 6:00. And dont ask to stay home from school either. If we allow later start times we are asking for a whole lot of problems down the road! I think its the teachers that want later start times, for themselves…
I’m sure If your employer offered you to start work late you would say yes. Maybe teachers do want to start later because I’m sure they’re exhausted as well. Even if it was the teachers, you should respect that because they are the ones that educate and bend over backwards for your child. Being a teacher can be one of the most stressing jobs there is, especially for high school. They are the ones who educate your child with a much lower pay than they deserve so you shouldnt be complaining. Otherwise send your child to a private school.
How in the world am I as a parent supposed to be in two places at once??? So my middle schooler and my elementary student will get out at the same time??? It’s bad enough they messed with the times for Bella Vista and now I only have 20 mins to get from the middle school to the elementary school. With traffic trying to get out of the parking lots…this is a stupid idea!! Now they expect me to be in two places at once??? Come on, people!!
@K – Your sarcasm is rude and makes you sound like an uneducated moron. Your last sentence proves that you are!
Regarding the remarks about “Today, few parents take their children to school, the majority are bussed”. Where have you been lately. Obviously not aware of what is going on in the school systems TODAY. A majority of school districts in Riverside County, including Temecula USD, have had to eliminate all buses for some elementary school, all middle school and all high school students due to budget cuts.
This has forced many parents to have to drive their kids to school. Especially those kids that live miles from the school; have to walk past busy streets, railroad crossings, open fields with wildlife, or over freeway overpasses; or don’t have a license or car to drive themselves. This has created a whole lots of traffic jams and congestion around school sites. To make matters worse, to change school times to start so close together puts an unrealistic expectation on the parent to get their middle school student and an elementary school student both to school on time without either student being to early on campus or late for school.
I know this from experience. The school district I live in had cut bus service for students. I lived 2 1/2 miles from the school at that time. There were 3 ways my daughter could have walked to school and then home. In order for her to have walked to school via one of the three options my petite (much smaller than other students her age)daughter would have had to walk over a major freeway overpass twice, through a mile stretch of undeveloped fields with coyotes; or passed railroad crossings as she walked most of the way on a busy street which most of it way has no sidewalks and included walking across an freeway on-ramp and a off-ramp with no sidewalks or metered lights.
I chose to drive her to school to ensure her safety. This is what a lot of parents are having to do. This is causing major congestion around schools as parents are having to drop off their children or pick them up and make their way back out of the parking lot.
So again I ask, where have you been?
K- I’m sure If your employer offered you to start work late you would say yes. Maybe teachers do want to start later because I’m sure they’re exhausted as well. Even if it was the teachers, you should respect that because they are the ones that educate and bend over backwards for your child. Being a teacher can be one of the most stressing jobs there is, especially for high school. They are the ones who educate your child with a much lower pay than they deserve so you shouldnt be complaining. Otherwise send your child to a private school.