Boulder Parents Concerned About High School Start Time Changes

BOULDER, CO -- Parents and students appeared before the Boulder Valley School District school board this week to express concerns about a fall schedule change that would have local high schools implement a later start time, the Daily Camera reports. The Board of Education directed district staff in January to shift all high schools to a 8:30 a.m.–4:05 p.m. schedule to give students time to sleep in. Currently, local schools begin between 7:30 a.m. and 8 a.m.

Many who spoke at the meeting were concerned about the impact on sports and after-school activities that are daylight-dependent, like skiing or mountain biking, according to the Camera. Others thought the change was to quick, and that families need more time to work out childcare and activity schedules.

Speaking about his experience on the Boulder Nordic Junior Racing Team, the Camera reports that Fairview senior Jake Steeves asked the board to reconsider their decision.

"It's been amazing," Steeves said of his time on the team. "I want younger kids to experience this."

Get the full story from the Daily Camera here.

An earlier version of this article mistakenly stated that the school board had voted on the time change. A correction has been made to indicate that the Board of Education directed district staff to adopt the new schedule. We regret the error.

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