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Potsdam Central not expected to decide on shifting middle, high school start times until spring

Posted 8/26/18

By MATT LINDSEY POTSDAM -- The Board of Education will continue to study whether it is feasible to shift start times of the middle and high schools to a time better aligned with recommendations of …

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Potsdam Central not expected to decide on shifting middle, high school start times until spring

Posted

By MATT LINDSEY

POTSDAM -- The Board of Education will continue to study whether it is feasible to shift start times of the middle and high schools to a time better aligned with recommendations of the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Sleep Foundation.

According to research, the circadian rhythms, which govern sleep change during adolescence, make it very difficult for many teens to fall asleep before 10:30 or 11 p.m.

“If we hope students get the recommended 8 hours of sleep a night, we need to consider starting our secondary schools at 8 a.m. or later,” Chambers said.

Currently, the middle school day starts at 7:25 a.m. and the high school starts at 7:35 a.m.

This year school officials will evaluate bus routes and analyze the different logistical considerations to determine whether or not such a shift is possible.

Another option, according to Chambers, could be to move each schools start time ahead, meaning that all students would begin their day later. Logistics would need to be studied to see if such a change would work.

If a change is to be made for the 2019-2020 school year, the Board of Education will make that determination in the early spring, Chambers said.