To the editor:

Members of the Barrington School Committee, I am writing this open letter to you to request that the district return to the original start times for our schools. 

Analysis of the survey findings that were presented to the school committee paint a pretty clear picture of the realities of this change. Though the community seems divided on this change, we have now survey data indicating that the changes in school start time are not achieving the intended purpose. In fact, the changes are causing more damage, and placing more stress on our families and our students.

The data that we have collected is clear:

• Though families are divided on the impact, the secondary students and faculty who are experiencing the effects the most are the most critical of the change. Comments from students who participate in athletics and activities were resoundingly negative about the impact on after school activities. 

• A majority of all students and parents report either no change or a decrease in the amount of sleep time and alertness in class.

• Class attendance is down at the middle school and high school, as tardiness levels have remained the same as previous school years, and early dismissals from school have increased significantly, almost doubling at the high school.

• Survey results clearly indicate lost opportunities for after school support for students.

• Morale among faculty and staff members has deteriorated. Around 65 percent of teachers, the majority at the secondary level, have indicated that the new start times are not working for their schedules. Little to no input was sought from the faculty for this change.

• The most significant and most saddening results from this survey indicate that stress and anxiety levels reported have not gone down, but have increased. This is reflected in responses by parents, but most clearly in responses by our students. At the high school, only 11 percent of students indicate lower levels of stress; 60 percent indicated higher stress levels this school year, while the remaining 29 percent indicate no change.

This past summer the committee formed a school schedule task force, which was charged with surveying families, faculty, and students on the impact of the changes. The group is made up of district administrators from all levels. I was the only person to apply for four positions open to the school faculty and staff, and therefore have been the only voice on this committee representing the impact of this change on our schools and students from this perspective. I also had served on an earlier version of this committee, as the district planned for the impact of the change in start time. 

For years I have written letters and I have stood before you, the school committee, and implored you not to go ahead with this change. As most of you know, I am a social studies teacher at the high school, and I am a coach during all three seasons. I warned that the impact on students and their families would be negative. And now that it has come to pass, my experiences and these survey results show that, unfortunately, I was not wrong. 

My opinion in this letter is not representative of the collective opinion of the School Schedule Task Force, which I believe is feeling pressure to present a more cautious position when developing recommendations to you based on the survey results.

But what I believe should be recommended to the school committee is clear: We now have the data to support that this is a failed effort. These effects are not going to diminish with time. These effects cannot be mitigated with small adjustments to bus schedules. These effects are not something our families and students should simply have to get used to. The only way to address the problems with this change is to admit that this change was wrong for our community, to put this mess behind us, and for you to vote to return to the previous school start times. We need to do this for the benefit of the health of our students, their positive extracurricular experiences, and the overall quality of our students' lives.

Sincerely,

Bill Barrass

Barrington