Later Start Times At Falls Church Schools Up For Community Discussion

FALLS CHURCH, VA — As discussions on potentially changing school start times continue at Falls Church City Public Schools, community forums are coming up for residents to provide feedback. The community feedback will help inform the School Board's decision to move the school day hour adjustments forward.

The proposed adjustments to start times could result in middle and high schoolers starting later in the 2024-2025 school year. Under the proposal, the school day for Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School and Meridian High School would be 8:30 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. Currently, the middle and high schools have an 8:05 a.m. to 3 p.m. school day.

"We did we used to start at 7:20 [a.m.], and then that was moved several years ago to 8:05 [a.m.]," said Superintendent Peter Noonan at an August School Board meeting. "And so what we know now is that there are some advocacy out there to move it a little bit further to 8:30 [a.m.]."

A 9 a.m. start is proposed for Mount Daniel Elementary School and Oak Street Elementary School. Proposed end times are between 3:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. for Oak Street Elementary and 3:30 p.m. to 3:50 p.m. at Mount Daniel Elementary School, depending on frequency of early release days. The elementary schools currently run from 8:50 a.m. to 3:50 p.m.

Jessie Thackrey Preschool already starts at 7:55 a.m., as hours were adjusted to start 20 minutes this school year. Under the new proposal, the end time could be pushed from 2 p.m. to 2:20 p.m.

The Falls Church School Board has discussed potential start time changes at three meetings. The school board's Health and Wellness Advisory Committee advocated for the later start times based on the benefits of students getting more sleep.

"Research that's come out about later start times...suggests from the American Academy of Pediatrics that 8:30 [a.m.] is the start time, no earlier than 8:30 [a.m.], to ensure that there is sufficient sleep for adolescents," said Noonan. "And then the Center for Disease Control has also noted that our adolescent students are not getting enough sleep and as a consequence of that are at risk for being overweight, drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco or using drugs or even poor performance in academics."

But adjusting start and end times could also have impacts on the schedules of staff, parents and guardians, and students with sports or after-school activities.

The three options for school day times and early releases differ based on early release Wednesdays being provided weekly, semi-monthly and monthly. Community members are invited to review the presentation on the options before attending upcoming community forums.

The community forums on school hours and early release days will be held:

• Tuesday, Oct. 3, 7 p.m. at Oak Street Elementary School Library
• Thursday, Oct. 12, 7 p.m. at Meridian High School Learning Stairs
• Sunday, Oct. 22, 3:30 p.m. at the Falls Church Community Center

Feedback may also be shared with the School Board or sign up to speak at a School Board meeting.

The superintendent may provide another update to the School Board on Oct. 10, followed by an Oct. 24 work session based on community feedback. The School Board could take action on the proposal on Nov. 14, or Nov. 28 as a backup.