Letter: Here are two districts that made the change

Posted 6/12/19

To the editor:

Cape Cod has managed to do school start time changes with much success. We can too!

There is more than enough research to support later start times. Let’s look at some …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Register to post events


If you'd like to post an event to our calendar, you can create a free account by clicking here.

Note that free accounts do not have access to our subscriber-only content.

Day pass subscribers

Are you a day pass subscriber who needs to log in? Click here to continue.


Letter: Here are two districts that made the change

Posted

To the editor:

Cape Cod has managed to do school start time changes with much success. We can too!

There is more than enough research to support later start times. Let’s look at some nearby examples that are working really well. 

First, Nauset High School on Cape Cod shifted to an 8:35 start time in the 2012/2013 school year. They have seen increases in academic performance, and decreased issues with tardiness. This was reported in the Boston Globe in 2015. But since that time other good things have happened to Nauset including their soccer team has become a two-time state champ in Mass. Division 2. They were state champs in both 2016 and 2018. They were also ranked the number 1 soccer team in all of New England, and the number 3 nationally in the United States by USA Today in Nov. 2018. All this despite a total high school size of only 929 students, significantly less than our high school. 

John Mattson is the athletic director. When I spoke with him about their start time change, he had nothing but positive things to say about it. He said students in the high school look rested and relaxed. He said he cannot help but think that more sleep helps all students at their high school perform better, whether athletes or not. He also stated that they have not cut any sports or extracurricular activities.

The second example is Monomoy School District, also on Cape Cod. It is Harwich and Chatham combined. Dr. Scott Carpenter is the superintendent that decided to change the start times of the high school and middle school to 8:45 while moving K-5 earlier to 7:45. While that later start time did benefit the older kids, the earlier start time that happened in 2017/2018 school year actually led to a significant decrease in discipline incidents for the K-5 students. There was a 44 percent decrease in kids sent to the principal’s office compared to the previous year. 

When I spoke to Dr. Carpenter, he attributed this decrease to the simple fact that most grade school students naturally wake up earlier and are more alert in the a.m., than the afternoon. Most of the prior year’s discipline issues happened between 2:00 and 3:30 p.m. Since this change, elementary students are now leaving school by 2:30 and have more afternoon time to play. Dr. Carpenter also stated that Monomoy High has not cut any sports or extracurricular activities.

Both districts implemented the changes within a 12-18 month period from the initial decision. We have been discussing this and working out the details for six years. They both have had great success with the change. I think we will have great results as well.  

As for people that are concerned about busing, Monomoy School district is 57 square miles, Barrington is 15.4 square miles including water. It seems to me that we should be able to make this transition smoothly if we put our differences aside and support our children’s health and wellbeing.

Sincerely

Paul J. O’Brien Jr. DC

Barrington

2024 by East Bay Media Group

Barrington · Bristol · East Providence · Little Compton · Portsmouth · Tiverton · Warren · Westport
Meet our staff
MIKE REGO

Mike Rego has worked at East Bay Newspapers since 2001, helping the company launch The Westport Shorelines. He soon after became a Sports Editor, spending the next 10-plus years in that role before taking over as editor of The East Providence Post in February of 2012. To contact Mike about The Post or to submit information, suggest story ideas or photo opportunities, etc. in East Providence, email mrego@eastbaymediagroup.com.