St. Paul Public Schools on Wednesday announced new start times for most of its schools, despite reservations from board members.

The changes, coming in fall 2019, are driven by studies that have found early-morning wake-ups are especially hard on teenagers.

With few exceptions, middle and high schools will start an hour later, at 8:30 a.m.

Elementary schools that already start at 9:30 will see no changes, while nearly all of the rest will start at 7:30 instead of 8:30.

After decades of on-and-off discussions, the school board voted in December 2016 to change start times in 2018. Then, in October, the board voted to postpone that move until 2019.

The stated reason for the delay was to align the new schedule with other changes Superintendent Joe Gothard would be making under a new strategic plan, which should be done soon.

Still, some board members left the October meeting feeling the start-times issue wasn’t settled.

Immediately after voting for the delay, Jeannie Foster said that because the board would someday vote on the strategic plan, “we do have another opportunity to stop” the start-times change.

Board President Zuki Ellis said she was under the impression that the plan released Wednesday was a “suggestion.” She said the board would meet again on the subject of start times.

“Board members had questions. My understanding was that there weren’t any firm decisions made, that things were still in process,” she said in an interview Wednesday.

Despite their concerns, Foster and Ellis both voted for the one-year delay in October. John Brodrick voted against it, along with Chue Vue, who no longer is on the board. Vue’s replacement, Marny Xiong, has spoken against changing start times.

Foster, Brodrick and Xiong could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

HALF OPPOSE A CHANGE

District surveys have found roughly half of respondents oppose a new schedule. Major concerns are whether thousands of elementary-age children will be safe boarding buses as early as 6:30 a.m., the availability of before- and after-school child care, and the impact later schedules will have on high school sports.

As recently as a January update to the school board, the district was preparing to finalize and announce the new schedule in October.

School district spokeswoman Toya Stewart Downey said they informed families about the new schedule Wednesday because schools will be talking about the implications when school starts again in September.

“As far as we’re concerned, we’re sure that the board approved a change in start times,” she said. “It is what it is. Start times will change, as the board voted.”

Board member Jon Schumacher said the district has until November, when school choice guides are published, to make school scheduling decisions for the 2019-20 school year. But as far as he’s concerned, the board has made up its mind.

“I think that they have,” he said. “We’ve gone through two votes on that.”

SCHOOL BY SCHOOL

Under the schedule announced Wednesday, beginning in 2019-20, St. Paul district high schools will start classes at 8:30 a.m.

The exception is the grades 6-12 Washington Technology Magnet, which will stick with a 7:30 a.m. start to accommodate an additional hour in its schedule; their day will end at 3 p.m., along with the rest of the high schools.

“It was determined that keeping the current schedule has more (academic) benefits for students right now,” said Jackie Statum Allen, the district’s policy administrator.

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However, schools that serve both elementary and middle grades — American Indian Magnet, Hazel Park, Capitol Hill and the dual campuses of both Farnsworth and Linwood Monroe — will start at 9:30.

Generally, elementary schools that now start at 8:30 will move to 7:30. The exceptions are Bruce Vento, Capitol Hill and Riverview, which will move to 9:30 instead. All 9:30 elementary schools will keep that start time.

Statum Allen said the later starts for Bruce Vento and Riverview will ensure that no matter where in the city they live, St. Paul families can choose an elementary school starting at either 7:30 or 9:30.

She said the schedule change will have no impact on district transportation costs.