Summary of Parent FCCPTA School
Start Time Survey Comments

 From late May through early July 2008, the FCCPTA conducted an online survey of Fairfax County parents.  The purpose of this survey was to get input from a broad cross-section of parents on school start times and related issues.  We heard from over 6,000 parents representing more than 11,000 students at 196 schools of all levels: elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, secondary schools, and centers or other special schools.   These families also include a variety of racial/ethnic backgrounds and income levels.

The heart of our survey was parents’ feedback on current school schedules versus the proposed schedule endorsed by the Transportation Task Force (TTF).  This schedule has middle and high school start times an hour or more later than they are now, with elementary schools spanning a broad range of start times.  We found that an overwhelming majority – over 80% -- feel that the current middle and high school start times are too early, and an even larger majority – 85% -- favor the TTF proposal over the current schedule. 

The survey also provided an opportunity for parents to make comments, in their own words, about school start times.  Some of the thoughts expressed by the large majority who feel that start times should be later include:

•   The early schedule causes family stress and logistical problems:

o   “The present high school schedule has caused lots of stress for our family which has affected attendance, especially senior year.”

 o   “The early start time of high school has been incredibly difficult for our teenager. She is regularly late for school. She never makes the bus. It has been a logistics problem for our family for two years now. We would be so happy to have the change in time! I hope the school system will adopt it!”

 o   “Not only do children learn more with more sleep, there are less disciplinary issues in a well rested child. For some of us parents that work the 9 to 5 time shift, this later schedule works better.”

•    Sleep deficits are causing problems for children’s physical health, mental health, safe driving, and academic performance:

o   “As a sleep physician, it makes a lot of sense to take advantage of teenagers' delayed sleep cycles to help them get the most out of school times rather than having them be asleep during the first half.  Our goal is their education and intellectual stimulation after all.”

o   “Puleeeeeze change the high school start time!! It's completely out of sync with my son's natural sleep cycle, so it's like pulling teeth to get him to bed at a reasonable hour (and he often can't fall asleep so "early," anyway) and then to get him up in the morning. He'll sleep through 1st period next year. I'm concerned about this affecting his school performance (it's starting to, already).”

 

o   “While I don't like the idea of school starting later than 9:00, I understand the time span need. As my children have gotten older, the mornings have become increasingly difficult for the two oldest, while the youngest continues to wake up on his own every morning. I see clearly the change in sleep habits as they get older, and sincerely appreciate your attempt to match the school schedule to sleep patterns.”

 

o   “Starting elementary kids after 9:00 so that they are still in school at 3pm doesn't make sense, especially for the younger children. Their prime learning hours are early in the day. For high school, starting before 9 am doesn't make sense; all studies show that their prime learning hours are later in the day. The early bus times for high school and middle school students have been shown scientifically to be unhealthy. How can we put high school sports or after school jobs ahead of the health of our children?”

 

o   “A later start time for high school needs to happen. It's what's best for the health and safety of these teenagers. My daughter was rear-ended last year by a drowsy student in the morning who was not paying attention to the road.”

 

o   “I fully support the time change suggested for high school starting time. That one hour extra time to sleep in the morning would make a lot of difference to children that age. I have observed that when my son gets extra time to sleep how his mood and attention/focus is favorably affected.”
 

o   “My high schooler has suffered academically, emotionally, and physically from insufficient sleep. He falls asleep in class, wants to take naps after school, suffers depression, has poor grades and poor focus, and had to drop out of sports.  It is my opinion as well as his doctor’s opinion that he needs more sleep than he's able to get on a school night. Taking sleep aides to fall asleep earlier only makes him groggy during the day.  The high school time change is the most important and should take priority over all others.”

 

o   “The extra hour that my high schoolers got this past school year on Wednesday mornings was VERY beneficial. They had more energy, were in better moods, had more time to get organized for the day.”

 

o   “The current start times are too early for my high school students. Their bodies are not in sync with the schedule. They naturally need to stay up later and get up later than adults and are chronically sleep deprived. Their focus is affected and homework is a challenge. Asking them to do chores on top of that feels like so much stress. It would be healthier for the family if they could start school a bit later.”

•   A later schedule can still accommodate sports and extracurricular activities:

o   “My high school child has 1 hour between school and her sports (she is a 3 season athlete).  I think 6am buses are too early and high school kids need more sleep.  Also - critical is having sports start earlier so kids can ride the "late" bus home after sports practices.”

 o   “School ends at 2:10 but sports/theater doesn't start until 3:15--why the wasted hour?--home at 5:30 or 6:00, dinner, shower, then homework until she goes to bed.  If high school ends at 3:15 and extracurricular activities started immediately, I would definitely support the later start time.”

•  A later schedule would mean less unsupervised time after school:

o   “Later starts for middle and high school kids will help keep kids out of trouble after school. Now gangs of kids are hanging out at empty houses from 2 pm to 6 pm.”

o   “Later start times for middle schoolers, which I understand would be necessary to make available buses for high school students, would have the added benefit of leaving latchkey kids home alone in the afternoon for a shorter period of time.  I would rather have my middle schooler get himself to the bus in the morning than spend so much time home alone in the afternoon.” 

o   “I don't like having the older kids home so early - they are a real discipline problem in our neighborhood! If the kids need time for sports - make them get up in the dark and go, not my child. I resent having everything planned around sports practices - my children's activities do not require a sacrifice by everyone else and theirs shouldn't either.  But, ultimately, my biggest concern is the unsupervised older students. We have too many latch-key kids who just wander the neighborhood and get into trouble. I actually plan my day to be home when they get out so they don't vandalize my home/yard/pets.”

• The experiences of other school districts show that later start times work:

o   “Loudoun County has later school start times and it has been very successful. My recent graduate always performed worse in his early morning class. My daughter struggles with the huge shift in time change from elementary to secondary. As a former teacher in Loudoun County, I highly support the change.”

o   “We moved here from Florida where school started at 0900 and got out at 4:30 pm.  It was wonderful, the boys were well rested and still participated in after school sports and other activities.  I think later start times would be in the best interests of the students and that's what school should be about, the student not what is convenient for working parents.  Let's keep the students at the top of the list for the pros and cons to this decision.  Aren't there numerous surveys and scientific data to support a later start time?  I'm sure I've read about the benefits of starting later. I know from personal experience that for our family it will be a wonderful change.”

 

o   “We fully support later start times - we've lived in many states (military) and most schools start later yet still succeed with sports/work/family/etc. We all adapt to schedules - the children need their sleep!”

 

o   “All the info and statistics are in, the parents want later starts for high school, it has been a success everywhere else- our school board needs to LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE WHO ELECTED YOU!!!!”

 

o   “Fairfax County needs to catch up with the rest of the United States in terms of the research that is available which shows that teenagers' developing brains need more sleep! Make this change now! My 21-year-old suffered through your punishing schedule & slept through his 1st period classes. Now my younger 2 daughters are almost finished with their HS careers and are sleep-deprived 9 months of the year. Complete your research and MAKE the change. You cannot make everyone happy with the change, but do what they did in Minnesota & other parts of the country (including Loudoun County) and change the high school start times today!” 
 

o   “This is very important to our family. The kids are not getting the sleep they need to do their best in school. Other districts that have changed to later start times have seen great improvements in many areas including academic performance, happier students and teachers, fewer auto accidents involving students, and fewer sick days.”