A shift in the school start times in Barrington is estimated to cost the district $434,000 a year.

According to a report drafted recently by the School Start Time Ad Hoc Committee, the school district will need to spend about $426,000 more each year for additional school buses and bus monitors, as well as $8,000 more for athletic department scheduling changes.

District will outsource bus monitor jobs as part of plan.

For those who support the upcoming change, that money will be well-spent.

Dr. Megan Douglas, who was recently elected to the Barrington School Committee, has long endorsed the change to later start times at the high school and middle school. In a political statement she wrote in the Times in September, Dr. Douglas referenced the benefits of later school start times.

"Vitally, our adolescent students, with currently documented sleep deficiencies of 10-plus hours per week, will be healthier, be safer, and function even better in their academic and extracurricular activities," she wrote, adding "Taxpayer support of our schools should always be efficiently utilized — not wasted. Sending adolescents to school when they’re not ready to learn is like turning on the AC and opening all of your windows."

But there are some in town who say the change is unnecessary and burdensome.

Resident Dave Parkhurst attended the Nov. 3 school committee meeting where the report was discussed.

"It feels like the school committee is creating more problems than the 'problem' they are supposedly fixing and aren't listening to their constituents," he wrote in a recent email. "It was clear last night (Nov. 3) that they were not prepared to discuss any of the issues raised ... 

"I have yet to hear anyone articulate that there is a significant problem in Barrington that they are trying to solve with this solution…"

Read the report.

At the meeting, Mr. Parkhurst told committee members that there are many students at Barrington High School, including his daughter, whose academic performance will suffer if the start time changes negatively impact Eagles' sports teams. 

"Not all Barrington children are on the track to go to Harvard," he wrote. "Some, like my daughter, are good students who feel poorly about their performance because of the pressures to be the best. 

"If it wasn't for these other activities that will more difficult to participate in with the time change their love of school will diminish. I can tell you, if girls ice hockey has to practice at 9-10:30 p.m. my daughter will not participate."

The start time changes' impact on athletics and after school activities are included in the report, although "impacts and solutions have not been developed at this early stage in the implementation analysis." 

Ice hockey, winter track and swim practices could potentially have later practice times, depending on facility availability, stated the report. It was also stated that on some occasions, student-athletes may need to be excused early from school in order to compete in interscholastic league games. 

Barrington Superintendent of Schools Michael Messore said officials are still working on the details of the start time change.

"We are nine months to implementation," said Barrington Schools Superintendent Michael Messore. "I think this is a good report for where we are at this time."

Mr. Messore, who has been working with the start time committee for months, said he plans to release a second report at the end of the school year.

There have been some concerns surrounding teacher availability after school for students needing extra help and for extracurricular programs. 

A teacher at the middle school told school committee members that while the district has no plans to alter its offerings, some teachers may not have the time needed to participate.

Mr. Messore addressed that point in a recent email: "Until the times are fully implemented we will not really know what number of teachers will be able to staff extracurricular programs. Like any change to a routine, individuals will have to make adjustments or decisions on what they can do or not do based on their own personal schedule," he wrote.

The report stated: "Some activities may choose to meet before school, and others will adjust accordingly in the afternoon. There are a number of evening activities/clubs that will continue to meet in same manner as they do now."

The report also added: "The committee recognizes the need to continue to analyze the impact of start time changes on school sponsored activities, after school jobs, internship opportunities, and other activities that occur outside of the school such as elementary dance and instrumental programs."

The impact on child care has been a concern for some parents. In a recent letter to the editor, resident Kathy Moody wrote "…what truly scares me, is an almost disregard for how these changes will severely impact the children of families with two working parents…"

Ms. Moody wrote that some families will need to choose whether to spend more money on child care or leave their children home alone.

"How can it be purported to be a beneficial plan when it so obviously will disproportionally benefit some but create havoc for so many others," she wrote. 

The report referenced both morning and afternoon supervision of students — before and after school hours.

At the high school, officials are planning to open the building at 7:30 a.m. and the library will be open at 7:50 for students. 

As for the other schools, the report stated "The committee has researched the possibility of offering private options for onsite before school care at HMS and BMS, and after school for the K-3 schools. The cost to participate in these programs will rest solely with the individual families and will not be paid for the by the district."

The report included cost estimates for child care, before school and after, for the YMCA and a private company called Springboard. 

Mr. Parkhurst and other residents have also questioned the financial burden being placed upon taxpayers by the school district. In addition to the annual contractual increases and the additional money needed for the start time change, residents will also face the prospects of paying off a sizable bond for the construction of a new middle school. On Nov. 8, local voters approved spending up to $68.4 million for the new school.

"The school committee has consistently shown that they committed to implementing this plan despite the full picture of the consequences and financial impact," wrote Mr. Parkhurst. 

"The average Barrington taxpayer cannot continue to afford the 'blank check' policies of the school committee. With the middle school and this proposal, my property taxes and insurance will exceed the amount of my mortgage payment."