Carmel Clay Schools has finally settled on a new school schedule, moving back start times for its middle and high school students to be better in line with what experts recommend for teenage brains.
Start times at the district's middle and high school will be pushed back to 8:45 a.m., with the day to end at 3:45 p.m.
The elementary school day will start 15 minutes earlier, at 7:50 a.m., but will end at the same time it currently does. The extra 15 minutes will be used to double recess time.
The district's board approved the change at its meeting Monday night — held virtually — by a vote of 4-1. Board member Pam Knowles voted against the move because she was concerned about the estimated $168,000 cost.
An earlier proposal would have lengthened the elementary school day by 30 minutes total, with 15 minutes more for recess and 15 minutes more to the academic portion of the day, to help meet students social emotional needs.
Superintendent Michael Beresford said the change was in response to feedback received since the initial proposal was released last month.
Beresford said nearly 400 comments had been submitted. Many were from elementary school teachers, he said, who had concerns about the school day getting to be too long for the youngest students. There was broad support, though, for the additional recess time.
"We know research really supports more time for unstructured play," Beresford said.
This is not the first time that Carmel Clay Schools has considered this change.
The school board discussed it in the past but ended up taking a step back from the conversation. And the board was expected, even before schools closed to stop the spread of the coronavirus, to take the conversation up again this spring.
At an April 27 virtual school board meeting, Beresford said there were a lot of good arguments both for and against still having the discussion while the district was finishing school year remotely due to coronavirus.
But it ultimately came down to "at the end of the day, if these changes are to help kids, why would we wait?" Beresford said.
According to research from sources such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, middle and high school students should start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. to allow them to get the sleep they need.
What you need to know: Some Hamilton County schools could change start times
As teens go through puberty, their brains produce the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin on a delayed schedule, making it difficult for them to feel tired before 11 p.m., per the research. So advocates said that later start times can improve teens’ academic achievement, health, and safety.
However, if districts flip their start times that often means an earlier start time for elementary school students — sparking a range of responses from how it will benefit, harm, or not impact younger students.
Other Hamilton County districts
In February, the school board for Hamilton Southeastern Schools considered flipping start times so that the youngest students would start first and older students would start later. However, the board decided then to continue to study the idea.
The board voted to create a committee to study flipping school start times for fall 2021 and findings will be presented to the board this fall.
Since schools closed due to the coronavirus, Superintendent Allen Bourff told the board that the committee will still convene, but that the findings will probably be ready later in the fall than originally expected.
Elsewhere in Hamilton County, Noblesville Schools and Westfield Washington Schools both previously changed their times and began with the new times in the 2019-20 school year.
At its April 27 board meeting, the district asked for feedback from employees, families and community members on the following two recommendations:
- Carmel high and the district's middles schools will be 8:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
- Elementary schools in the district would be 7:50 a.m. to 2:50 p.m.
That recommendation was revised in May, to end at 2:35 p.m.
The changes would mean Carmel High School will start 55 minutes later and the districts’ middle schools would start an hour later. The middle school day would be 20 minutes shorter and the high school day would be 50 minutes shorter.
Pete O'Hara, president of the Carmel Teachers' Association, thanked district leadership and the board for listening to the concerns of teachers. He said teachers largely supported the plan, with the elementary school compromise.
"All along I thought extending the day by 30 minutes was too much," he said. "So, I think extending the day by 15 minutes is a good compromise."
Knowles, the one vote against the move, said she was concerned about the added expense of extending the elementary school day with so much financial uncertainty. With the havoc COVID-19 is wreaking on the state's economy, there are concerns that state agencies, including schools, will see budget cuts.
Additionally, Beresford proposed district-wide late start days twice a month. Currently, there are only late start days at Carmel High School.
On the late start days, school will start 40 minutes later and end at the regular time. That time in the morning would be used for educators to collaborate, review student data and work on best instructional practices.
Beresford said free childcare would be provided to families on those days.
He said he knows that some sports — like swimming — would continue to practice in the morning but with the change, practice could start at 6 a.m. instead of 5 a.m. He added that mornings would have to be monitored so they aren't overloaded.
Call IndyStar education reporter Arika Herron at 317-201-5620 or email her at Arika.Herron@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter: @ArikaHerron.
Call IndyStar education reporter MJ Slaby at 317-447-1586 or email her at mslaby@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @mjslaby.
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