To the editor:

We are writing to express our ardent support of later school start times in Barrington. We also write to thank and commend our school committee for their science-based support of this opportunity.

Like many other Barrington parents, we have followed this conversation since it began in 2011. We attended the well-publicized workshops, participated in the 2012 survey, attended several Health and Wellness subcommittee meetings and today, wholeheartedly support the plan.

Myths regarding later start times have been quashed in letters to your desk, in public comment at school committee meetings, and by myriad fact-based sources such as www.startschoollater.net. What remains now is to move forward.

The school committee's vote in January to start our middle school and high school at 8:30am positions us for long needed action. There is no need to delay, no need to embark on new surveys, no need to repeat the studying and fact-gathering started in 2011. Hesitating will not ease the adjustments we ALL will need to make to adapt to this sensible plan. Our family will figure it out like all families in town who have complicated schedules. This change is for the greater good. We urge the school committee to move ahead with implementation, now.

Sincerely,

Jude and Susan Kostas

Barrington