Parents, Students Speak Out for Later Bell Times

A majority of residents who attended public hearings on Thursday support later school start times — also known as bell times — in Montgomery County, allowing teenagers to get more sleep.

Students at two hearings testified how tired they were from late nights of homework coupled with early alarms to get to school on time, according to WTOP. Two children even showed up in pajamas and slippers with eye black beneath their eyes for an extra-sleepy look.

High school students currently have to report by 7:25 a.m.

Iris Berendes, a ninth-grader at Walt Whitman High, tells WTOP she has to wake up at 5:30 a.m. to get to school, but homework and after-school activities keep her up late at night.

“I would say that three out of the five days of school each week, I get to bed at about 11 o’clock, leaving me with six hours of sleep each of those nights.”

Berendes hopes for a change to an 8:30 a.m. start time.

Last summer, Superintendent Joshua Starr chose a plan that did not include a 50-minute delay in bell time in part due to the amount of money the change would cost, WTOP reports.

Read Also: Will Starr Serve Another Term at MCPS?

The local chapter of Start Schools Later issued a release saying Superintendent Joshua Starr’s recommendation to delay high school start times by 20 minutes “is a sham that demonstrates a poor understanding of the research, as the document understates the significant academic, health, and emotional benefits of later start times for teens. It includes no mention of the risks associated with early start times, including more dropouts, substance abuse, depression, and suicide.”

Prior to the meeting, Board of Education President Patricia O’Neill urged the public to learn more about the five options being considered for later bell times.

“Any change to our starting and ending times will have an impact on every student, parent, and employee in Montgomery County Public Schools, so it is important that our citizens understand the options we are considering and let their voices be heard,” O’Neill said.

Montgomery County Public Schools is expected to reach a decision by Feb. 10 as part of the board’s fiscal year 2016 operating budget request to the Montgomery county Executive and County Council. The annual costs of the proposals before the board range from zero to nearly $6 million.

-- Photo: Two children went to the meeting dressed in pajamas and slippers with eye black beneath their eyes. Photo screenshot from WTOP Twitter.