Norwalk BOE votes in favor of later start times for high schools

Norwalk High School students exit the school following dismissal Wednesday. The Board of Education voted Tuesday in favor of changing the start times at Norwalk and Brien McMahon high schools. Norwalk high school students will be in class from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. starting next fall. less Norwalk High School students exit the school following dismissal Wednesday. The Board of Education voted Tuesday in favor of changing the start times at Norwalk and Brien McMahon high schools. Norwalk high ... more Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media Buy photo Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media Image 1 of / 15 Caption Close Norwalk BOE votes in favor of later start times for high schools 1 / 15 Back to Gallery

NORWALK — The Board of Education approved Tuesday a recommendation to push back high school start times to 8:30 a.m. for the 2020-21 school year.

The plan, which would push back high school dismissals to 3:15 p.m., put more buses on the road and cost the district an estimated $457,000, has been the cause of debate for more than a year. At Tuesday’s meeting, more than 10 members of the public weighed-in, many of whom were in favor of the proposal, but some of whom expressed their concern over the effect it could have on traffic, after-school sports, extracurricular activities, employment and on families reliant on day care.

Still, the board spoke mostly favorably of the proposal, which was one of its 2018 “Priority Implementation Steps,” and was the focus of a committee of parents, teachers, administrators and members of the Board of Education, who were tasked over the past year to review data and gauge public opinion on the shift.

“I think this is not about test scores, at all, this is about social-emotional learning and the social-emotional health of our students,” board member Julie Corbett said.

The proposal passed by a vote of 6-2. Board Chairman Mike Barbis and Secretary Bryan Meek opposed the item. Board member Erik Anderson did not attend the meeting.

Meek said he was chiefly concerned with the impact a condensed drop-off window could have on already heavily trafficked roads, like Highland and Strawberry Hill avenues, especially with major state construction projects already causing congestion. Barbis said he worried about cost of the change, especially in light of a recent influx of immigrant students to the district that will cost nearly $2 million.

“I’ve kind of gone back and forth, but I think with the current emergency that we currently face with this influx of unexpected students, we have a lot of costs where we’re maxed out on our current resources. We’re going to have to add resources,” Barbis said. “I just wonder if this, because spending is going to be close to $2 million unexpectedly, to also be asking for half a million dollars, for something that has been in the works, but maybe we have to prioritize because money doesn’t grow on trees.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Sleep Prevention have all recommended the 8:30 a.m. start, citing improved academic performance, cognitive function, creativity, athletic performance and mental health.

“I admire and support the steps that are taking place to improve the mental health of our teenage children. Will this time change affect my school? Absolutely. But I can adjust,” said Daniela Gongora, a parent of a Silvermine third-grader and a Norwalk music teacher. “If we are truly concerned about the future health of students, we should try to support the studies that are put out there. The argument that we, the older generation, did just fine is not a fair argument. Students today are far more over-scheduled than students were 20 years ago.”

Those opposed did so for a variety of reasons.

Leah Reeves, a Norwalk Public Schools parent, said she didn’t dispute the science that said high school students could benefit from more sleep, but felt the well-being of elementary school students was an after-thought in the report provided by the School Start Time Committee. City resident Marjorie Madden questioned the cost of the endeavor and opined that students who start later would merely stay up later.

Joe Giandurco, vice president of the Norwalk Federation of Teachers (NFT), the union representing the city’s public school teachers, voiced concern that input from parents and teachers was not welcome during the process. He urged the board to vote against the time change.

“The NFT and its members are not an impediment to the progress,” Giandurco said. “We are here to support our students and our members. We believe if we can work together, our students will thrive, our successes will increase and Norwalk will continue to become the most successful urban district in the state.”

The board fought back against these claims of exclusion, which have also been expressed in recent weeks by parents on Facebook. In a statement preempting public comment, Barbis outlined the work of the committee, which included surveys of parents and students, as well as an extensive review of scientific studies and impacts to transportation and after-school sports, jobs and activities. Board members also stressed that the process is ongoing, and they will continue to work with the district, parents, students and the city as the plan is implemented.

“I know there have been statements made that we have not listened to the public, our minds are made up, a deal’s already been cut,” Barbis said. “I think nothing could be farther from the truth. This didn’t just happen in the last two months. This has been going on for 18 months.”

justin.papp@scni.com; @justinjpapp1; 203-842-2586

An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated high school would end at 3:30 p.m. With the change to school start times, Norwalk high schools would dismiss at 3:15 p.m.

An earlier version also incorrectly stated Board of Education member Bryan Meek was chiefly concerned with traffic related to additional buses on the road. His concern is the change to start times could cause traffic because of the condensed drop-off window.