Candidates' Take: Should FCPS Push Back School Start Times?

Editor's Note: Even though Fairfax City residents cannot vote for Fairfax County School Board members, the decisions made by the county school board affect curriculum, resources and staffing in city schools. Fairfax City schools are run by FCPS through a services contract the city has with Fairfax County.

Seven candidates will vie for three at-large seats on the Fairfax County School Board in the Nov. 8 elections. 

Patch took six questions  and sent them in a survey to all at-large candidates. All but candidate Lin-Dai Kendall got back to us with their answers.

This series will look at how the candidates responded to each question.

Question: School start time is an issue that has not been addressed in some time.  Will you seriously consider pushing the start time of our high schools back?  Why or why not?

And the responses? 

All of the candidates said they liked the idea of later school start times, but realize that the issue is complicated. Some seem more eager to move forward with the program than others.

Read on for full responses.

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Ted Velkoff: "Changing the bell schedule will have negative consequences for some children and families that outweigh the benefits for them."

The arguments for helping teenagers get more sleep are compelling and grounded in science.  But changing the bell schedule will have negative consequences for some children and families that outweigh the benefits for them.  I believe what we learned in 2009 was that the issue is less about high school start times, and more about high school end times.  At town hall meetings and in the opinion survey, parents in overwhelming numbers expressed concern that the costs to their families – in impact on after-school athletics, activities and programs, childcare and family schedules – outweighed the benefits of a later start time.  I am completely open to a reconsideration of this question, but in order to support a change to the schedule, I would need to be convinced that the concerns raised by parents two years ago have been addressed to their satisfaction.

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Steve Stuban: "It is time to fully present several bell schedule options and their associated costs so our community’s authentic input can be factored into the Board’s final decision."

I support later school start times for middle and high school students with an optimal start time of 8:15 am or later.  No one disputes that research confirms a direct correlation between increased sleep and optimized school performance, increased alertness, reduced absenteeism, lowered drop-out rates and improved health for adolescents.  For years, FCPS and its consultants have expended much time and money grappling with how best to implement a later school start time and also limit transportation costs.  Now, FCPS unfortunately is expending energy attempting to dispute community-wide support for adjusting the start time -- as FCPS’s spokesperson Mr. Paul Regnier claims that the controls on the Superintendent’s recent survey were insufficient to confirm support for later start times.  (More likely, in my view, is that the outcome showing continued broad public support for later school start times )  It is time to fully present several bell schedule options and their associated costs, so our community’s authentic input (that of families, teachers, FCPS support staff and other stakeholders) can be factored into the Board’s final decision.

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Ilryong Moon: "I am confident that finding a solution going forward will be possible, and believe that a middle ground exists."

I am supportive of this idea and will vote for a feasible and publicly supported proposal to push start times back. The devil has been in the details on this one. We need to find various solutions to the logistical problems, look at the costs and try to find a way to make this happen that is not too expensive and does not ask students to sacrifice other activities, such as after school sports. Fortunately, SLEEP has been very effective at developing practical and workable solutions to problems in the past.  I am confident that finding a solution going forward will be possible, and believe that a middle ground exists. For instance, flexible first period scheduling or the ability to take first period classes on-line may return all the benefit with reduced costs of other broad logistical changes and should be investigated as an option to students.

The public needs to be better-educated about the state of the science on this topic. A growing body of literature shows that early start times lead to an increase in auto accidents and incidence of depression as well as a decrease in academic achievement. I am confident that upon hearing what is at stake residents will support, adjust to and enjoy the changes.

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Ryan McElveen: "The start times should have been changed decades ago."

As a former student, I can't believe this is still an issue. The start times should have been changed decades ago, and the fact that they haven't shows the school administration has been deaf to the concerns of the students they are serving. The incoming School Board needs to finally take action, even if it means creating a long-term plan for implementation.

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Lolita Mancheno-Smoak: "This is an issue that needs comprehensive evaluation and full community engagement."

Empirical data indicates healthier school start times for HS students to be within the range of 8:30am to 9:15am to best align with teenagers' Circadian rhythm. I am supportive of a school start time that provides the best opportunity for the student's mind to be fully alert while driving to school and at maximum performance in first block classes. However, this is an issue that needs comprehensive evaluation and full community engagement to ensure a feasible solution that addresses critical factors such as athletic schedules, bus routes, work schedules, etc. 

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Sheree Brown-Kaplan: "The new School Board should review past studies and surveys to inform its decision..."

In these days of tight budgets, our primary consideration must be to maximize student learning and ensure the effective use of the public's investment in education. Research demonstrates that later start times for teens mean better performance in the classroom. The new School Board should review past studies and surveys to inform its decision and determine the most appropriate measures to take in implementing the clear evidence and best practice of later high school start times, including the full utilization of technology to maximize transportation effectiveness.

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Check Patch again for more questions and answers.