Wayland Committee Votes On Later, Earlier School Start Times

WAYLAND, MA—Wayland High School and middle schools could be starting their school days one hour later if the School Committee votes that way on Nov. 19.

The vote would approve a start time for the high school at 8:30 a.m. and for the middle schools at 8:35 a.m., reports the MetroWest Daily News. The elementary schools, however, would start close to an hour earlier, at 7:50 a.m.

The Wayland Teachers Association and some parents are opposed to the new start times, but many are in favor, as evidenced in a Patch poll held in September in which 76 percent of voters favored the change.

The School Committee in an update in early September said that it had been reviewing research, listening to students, parents and staff, and considering the pros and cons of alternative scenarios as it relates to start times in Wayland.

The committee held public forums over the course of the fall, with an evening meeting with parents in Boston planned next month.

According to a WTA survey taken by the teachers in Wayland, nearly two-thirds are opposed to the plan, reports MetroWest Daily News.

Parent Christopher Desmond has created a petition opposing the move, and sent an open letter to the school committee, which he sent to Patch, stating, "While I understand the importance of adequate sleep in adolescents, reversing the start times of the elementary and middle/high schools and moving the elementary start time almost an hour earlier is the wrong answer."

According to the National Sleep Foundation, "The consequences of sleep deprivation during the teenage years are particularly serious. Teens spend a great portion of each day in school; however, they are unable to maximize the learning opportunities afforded by the education system, since sleep deprivation impairs their ability to be alert, pay attention, solve problems, cope with stress and retain information."

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