Keep Ridgefield Public School Start Times Unchanged

Make classes shorter or rotate them! We don't have to have an elective classs everyday! You don't do that in college!!

I don't want the time to change. Will be very difficult for my family to adjust to new time.

Our start time at Scotland is just right! Not all little kids wake up early!

Leave my time alone! I'll be at track practice til 6-6:15 pm in the dark!!!!

I would be in favor of chaning high school start times, if and only if, all school start times are healthy. The options presented by the committee harm families and the youngest children. The six elementary school start times should all be the same. All of the schools should start between 7:45 and 8:30. Greenwich made the change without negatively impacting elementary start times, so can we. If that can't be done, then no change is required.

Later start times have been scientifically proven to be more physiologically conducive to learning. As a neurologist, I am aware of the evidence!

Mom of 4 with 2 RHS graduates, 1 at RHS and 1 in elementary school, speaking from experience, start time change is not the answer. BTW Wilton and Greenwich changed their start times, and in the past year Ridgefield beat both schools in academics and sports, some for the first time ever. Seems the proof is in the pudding.

Changing the start time will not only change the schools but change the whole community making it more hectic and annoying.

The burden that the change in start times will place on families, especially working families in need of child care, far outweighs any perceived benefit. High schools around the nation, for decades, have started earlier and students have dutifully survived. I feel we are setting a bad example by sending a message to our young adults that they need to be coddled. Their schedules will soon be determined by other forces outside of their control, and they need to be ready for that. And finally, let's face it, we live in an extremely competitive academic community. These kids will just find something else to block out the time previously slated for school starts. Add that to sports and other activities and you will actually make their day longer by passing legislation on later start times.

waking up 1 hour later honestly won’t do any benefits, it will mainly take time away for after school activities and homework. Honestly you can not do much with an extra hour of sleep but waste your own time.

Please keep the school start times unchanged.

Changing the school start times to negatively impact our district's youngest and most vulnerable population (Pre-K through 5th) is not an effective solution. Please consider all school children and their best interests when making a change like this. Personally, this type of change will mean that my three young children will need to attend daycare which is an enormous financial burden to my family. I would be in favor of finding a solution that will address the needs of all students, not just those at the HS level.

After listening to the "expert" and scanning the research provided, I suspect the cost/benefit of changing start times falls short of other approaches that emphasize parental involvement in developing healthy habits concerning sleep, study, exercise and restricting visual/aural stimuli.

Why change it when it works!!!! The students are thriving, getting in to amazing schools, and do not complain so why are we even engaging in this ridiculousness.

As a neurologist, I am well aware of the physiologic benefits of naturally occurring circadian rhythm of a young child's body. The later start time at VP enables my children to have an adequate night's sleep. They are then able to have a better balanced day by engaging in a morning physical activity so important to their energetic growing bodies! They then approach school with more enthusiasm to learn as well as the ability to meaningfully engage in learning. Scientific evidence supports a later start time for school respects the natural physiology of the growing mind and body!!

This entire argument to change school times because we need more sleep is ineffective, and not a viable solution to any real issue. As we push back school, we also have to push back extracurriculars and sports, which would make people get home at a later time, start their homework later, and spiral into going to sleep later, which ruins the entire point of the plan by itself. In addition, when changing this, one must consider the RHS faculty who have kids in our school system and others, who need to be home before their kids arrive home, but are forced to stay later due to a system that already won’t work.. it’s ridiculous.

8 years ago Featured

Changing RHS start time will not make high schoolers have more sleep because they still have the same amount of homework and studying to finish. Also, did anyone consider working parents? How will they get the middle schooler to their bus stop @ 9 am and be at work on time??

While it would be nice for all students to get more sleep, I am concerned about the younger ones that would be missing out on sleep if they have to go in earlier in order for the HS to start later. Seems incredibly unfair and wrong to take that from them at a young age.

Start times will not make a difference until screen times change and sleep hygiene improves. https://www.screenagersmovie.com/

I've asked several times for the questionnaire that the RHS students did years ago about a late start. No one has given an info on that. I've asked dozens of students who took it, and not one of them wanted a later start.