Letter: Most Barrington students oppose start time change

Posted 3/19/19

To the editor:

The school board has proposed altering the school start times so students will start and end school an hour later. 

The proposal is supposed to improve academics, but …

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Letter: Most Barrington students oppose start time change

Posted

To the editor:

The school board has proposed altering the school start times so students will start and end school an hour later. 

The proposal is supposed to improve academics, but the majority of students feel this change will harm, not help — 80 percent of students are against it.

In a recent survey of 90 students, 90 percent said a later start time would interfere with after school activities. Social activities after school are important for children to get exercise, learn teamwork, explore individuality, and make friends. This change could deprive students of healthy full social lives. 

Students with jobs could not work their afternoon shifts with this change. The younger grades would be released earlier than the high school, so high schoolers could not babysit kids after school or pick them up from their buses, forcing parents to spend more on costly daycare or be forced to come home early. 

Ninety percent of students feel an hour less time for homework would cause them severe stress. Many teachers dislike the change because they will be on different schedules than their children’s schools in other districts.

Moreover, the entire idea behind the change is fundamentally flawed. High schoolers won’t get more sleep because they will just stay up an hour later. 

When surveyed, 87 percent said they would stay up later if the start time was changed. 

This change would also increase taxes. More buses are needed because fewer parents can provide rides to school. 

In the town’s budget proposal, the school is asking for several hundred thousand dollars in order to implement the change. Taxes were raised just last year to build the middle school, now the school board is suggesting raising taxes again for a non-beneficial change students don’t want. 

Much of the science cited to support the change is from struggling school districts trying anything to fix their schools. Barrington isn’t struggling, so this change is ineffectual. 

Average start times in Massachusetts, the state with the best public schools, are within 10 minutes of our current start time. 

If these schools can succeed by starting before eight, why does Barrington think a later start time is instrumental to improving education? 

The student body implores voters to veto the change at the town meeting on May 22 at 7 p.m. 

Hundreds of students petitioned against the change, but the school board ignored their opinions, essentially disenfranchising the students. Please come and vote against this unwanted change.

Jane Small

Barrington

Ms. Small is a student at Barrington High School. 

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