Elementary students will start the school day at 7:30 a.m. next fall if the Des Moines school board approves new start times proposed by the administration.

Des Moines Public Schools is taking another look at start times after a similar effort failed to gain support last school year.

Under the new proposal elementary schools would start 45 minutes to an hour and 15 minutes earlier next school year. Middle and high school start times would be pushed back 45 minutes.

The switch could affect tens of thousands of Des Moines families, but school officials say it is needed to better align school hours to the natural sleep rhythms of teenagers, resulting in better-rested, more attentive middle and high school students.

The school board is expected to discuss the proposal Nov. 21 and potentially vote on the new start times Dec. 12, district spokesman Phil Roeder said. The changes would not begin until the 2018-19 school year.

Officials tabled a vote on start times in the spring after parents raised concerns.

Some of the most vocal opponents were from Smouse and Ruby Van Meter schools, which serve students with disabilities. The spring plan suggested a 9:15 a.m. start at those schools, which families and staff members worried would conflict with students' after-school therapy and doctor appointments.

The proposal being considered this month has earlier start times for both schools, but concerns persist among elementary school families.

Some worry about the safety of elementary students waiting at bus stops early in the morning while its still dark. Others wonder how an earlier morning will affect the academics of young children.

“I think it’s detrimental to them to go any earlier,” said Brandie Stifel, a mother of three children, including a Des Moines second-grader. "The little kids just get the short end of the stick."

The new proposed has:

Elementary schools starting at 7:30 a.m., about 45 minutes to 75 minutes earlier, and letting out at 2:25 p.m.

Middle schools starting at 8:30 a.m., about 45 minutes later, and letting out at 3:25 p.m.

High school students starting at 8:25 a.m., about 45 minutes later, and letting out at 3:25 p.m.

Smouse starting at 7:30 a.m., to align with elementary schools, and letting out at 2:25 p.m.

Ruby Van Meter starting at 8:30 a.m., to align with middle schools, and letting out at 3:25 p.m.

A non-scientific survey last spring found the majority of students, staff and families who responded were supportive of the proposed changes. A similar survey will be conducted in November. Smouse and Van Meter survey results will be tracked separately.

"We're going to go back and survey the community in the same fashion as last spring on this revised plan," said Tim Schott, executive director of secondary schools. "We’re interested in what the staff and community feel about this change."

The effort to "flip" elementary and secondary school times comes amid a shift nationally in how schools think about teen sleep patterns.

Research has shown later start times can have positive results for teenagers, said Kyla Wahlstrom, a senior researcher at the University of Minnesota who pioneered research on school start times. That ranges from improving academics to reducing the likelihood of risky behavior.

More than 300 districts in 44 states have switched secondary school start times to 8:30 a.m. or later, Wahlstrom said.

Smouse, Van Meter

In the spring, families and staff at Smouse and Van Meter asked district leaders to better align the two schools with other elementary and secondary start times, which the new proposal accomplishes.

"I wasn't happy with how the proposal was rolled out the first time, but I would say that the change ... I think it seems very reasonable," said George Thompson, the parent of a Ruby Van Meter student.

"It shows that the district is willing to listen to teachers and parents and students if they take the time to," he said.

As part of the plan all elementary schools would start at the same time, instead of the staggered start times in place now.

To make that possible, and to accommodate earlier starts at Smouse and Ruby Van Meter, the district is proposing a 7:30 a.m. start time. That's 20 minutes earlier than the plan proposed in the spring.

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"The transportation folks need more time to make those runs," Schott said.

Smouse and Ruby Van Meter draw students from across the district and have more complex bus routes.

The district spent $40,000 to add another bus drop-off lane at Ruby Van Meter, which is expected to saving an estimated 10 minutes during loading or unloading times.

"That actually happened this summer, in response to the feedback from last spring," Schott said.

Elementary adjustments

Des Moines leaders also addressed some concerns raised by elementary school families and teachers in the spring.

One of those concerns was whether families would have enough time for children to eat breakfast if they started school earlier.

To address that Des Moines expanded its free breakfast program to all elementary schools this school year, giving families another option, Schott said.

There are other changes are underway for before- and after-school programs.

The proposed time switch would mean elementary students enrolled in after-school programs would spend more time at school after the bells ring.

"We've expanded some after-school programs already and have plans to do that even more thoroughly," Schott said. It "allows the opportunity to really enrich it."

Before-school care will continue to be offered at elementary schools, although the focus will shift because of the time shift, he said.

Why switch the start times?

Teenagers typically can't fall asleep until 10:45 or 11 p.m., said Kyla Wahlstrom, a senior researcher at the University of Minnesota who pioneered research on school start times.

That's in contrast to when younger children typically fall asleep, at 9 p.m., according to Nathan Boonstra, a pediatrician at Blank Children's Hospital.

Research found that later start times align better with teenagers' physiological needs, but also improves their academics and social choices, Wahlstrom said.

For example: Teenagers who have the proper amount of sleep participate in fewer health-affecting activities such as using alcohol, drugs and cigarettes, she said.

More info, online survey:

Learn more about the proposal to switch Des Moines school start times online at www.dmschools.org/school-hours-at-dmps.

A survey will launch in early November to gather feedback from parents, community members, teachers and staff, as well as students. The interactive online survey is available in English and Spanish through the link above. Comments and questions can also be submitted online.

In addition, the survey can be printed and returned to a school or the district’s offices at 2100 Fleur Drive in Des Moines. Translations are available in Arabic, Burmese, Karen, Nepali, Somali, Spanish, Swahili and Vietnamese.