School Start Times May Change For Thousands Of Students
GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. (CBS4)- Dozens of parents attended a Cherry Creek School Board meeting to discuss changing school start times for students in one of Colorado's largest school districts.
Cherry Creek School District administrators want middle and high school students to start an hour later while elementary students would leave for school an hour earlier.
Several parents signed up to speak at the meeting and questioned whether the changes were necessary. Others would welcome the change.
"They are starting way too early. My daughter goes to school when it's pitch black outside," said parent Barbara Sinar.
Other parents say the change would raise other issues.
"Now that they are not going to have their middle school siblings to watch them in the afternoons some people can't afford daycare. What are you going to do?" asked parent Mary Van Minnen.
The idea behind the start time change was prompted by research in how adolescent sleep schedules change with age, especially in teens.
"Their internal clock moves later so it makes it more difficult to fall asleep earlier," said National Jewish Hospital pediatric sleep psychologist Dr. Lisa Meltzer. "In sufficient sleep impacts every aspect of daytime functioning so adolescents are more moody, they have a more difficult time in class, they are not as interactive, it affects their sports performance."
Some say the science is all they need to get on board but others need convincing.
"I have always felt it was the parents responsibility to make sure kids get to bed on time so they get enough sleep but she knows if she doesn't want to be tired, she has to go to bed early," said one parent.
School bus schedules would be altered to fit the new schedules.
The school board will consider all public input before making a decision next month.
