The district’s middle and high schools will open 10 to 15 minutes later next school year, following lobbying efforts by a parent group.
By: David M. Campbell
Following an about-face by the school administration, the West Windsor-Plainsboro Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday in favor of later opening and closing hours next year for district middle schools and high schools.
Superintendent of Schools John Fitzsimons told the board in January that the administration had decided not to adjust school hours, despite claims by some parents that opening times deprive adolescent students of much-needed sleep.
But as a result of continued parent advocacy following that decision and the findings of a survey conducted by the administration in April among parents, students and teachers, the administration reversed its decision, now favoring a move to open schools from 10 to 15 minutes later.
Starting in September, the two district high schools will start at 7:49 a.m. instead of 7:34 a.m., the middle schools will start at 7:50 a.m. instead of 7:40 a.m., and the upper elementary school will start at 8:50 a.m. instead of 8:35 a.m.
These schools also will close later, keeping the length of the school day and instructional time unchanged.
Deborah Hornstra, who started a parent advocacy group called “Later School is Better” with Michele Brett, called the new starting and closing times a “step in the right direction,” but said the new opening times are not enough to meet the health needs of adolescents.
“If all goes well and people are pleased with this plan and see that our extracurricular programs are not destroyed, we will be well-positioned to seek another 15 minutes or more when the new elementary school comes on line in 2002,” she said.
Board member Stan Katz said he has favored later opening times for a long time, and said that “prior to this (decision), the biggest obstacle seemed to be the administration’s reluctance to support such changes on the grounds that the logistics were too difficult.”
“Since the administration now believes that these logistical obstacles can be handled, most of the controversy should disappear,” he said.
One of the biggest obstacles was the conflict of later closing times with after-school sports, but district spokeswoman Gerri Hutner said Athletic Director Marty Flynn has given the new schedule his approval. Mr. Flynn has also begun talks with other schools in the district’s sports leagues to see if the schools can coordinate later starting times for sporting events to make things easier under the new school schedule, Ms. Hutner said.
Dr. Fitzsimons’ decision in January not to change school times was the result of nearly three months of meetings by a committee composed of central office administrators, principals and supervisors to consider the change. During that time, the committee surveyed parents, faculty, staff and students, and conferred with other Mercer county school districts.
The committee said at that time that the requirements of the academic school day, which includes seven instructional periods in a nine-period day, and the needs of a year-round athletic program were obstacles to such a change.
Ms. Hutner also said the size of the district had been considered by the committee to be a factor against the change, since some students have to take long bus rides to and from school.
At the time, Dr. Fitzsimons had said the change was “not in the foreseeable future,” but added that he would keep this issue open and discuss it with other Mercer County superintendents.
Since then, based on continued “community interest” in later opening times, the superintendent and the committee revisited the issue over the last few weeks, Ms. Hutner said Tuesday.
Mr. Katz said the reversal of the district’s decision was brought about by advocacy efforts by Ms. Hornstra and Ms. Brett, and by the parents who kept the issue alive despite the district’s announcement in January.
“The real story here isn’t necessarily the change in starting times, (it’s) the success of a grass-roots movement, started by two parents, who channeled their frustrations and ideas into an effective campaign to win over the public, the board and the administration,” Mr. Katz said.
The group now has its sights set on 2002, when the Towne Center elementary school is expected to open, Ms. Hornstra said. At that time, she said, the district is expected to review opening and closing times throughout the district.
“We hope to gain additional time for our older students,” she said. “In the meantime, we plan to work with some other districts in the region, because we understand that if we had some regional coordination on this, that it would be easier to effect change.”
Ms. Hornstra, who holds a master’s degree in health advocacy, said her group was recently contacted by the National Sleep Foundation, which she said has asked her to share the district’s story with other school districts to motivate them to take similar action.