Mackenzie Ryan

mryan@dmreg.com

The Des Moines school board could vote to change school start times at their meeting Tuesday. Officials are considering starting middle and high school classes later in the morning, and elementary times earlier.

It's the second time Des Moines has considered such a switch, which medical and academic research shows will better align with teenagers' natural sleep schedules.

“There’s a lot of science out there that tells you that we have it backwards, in having our older kids start earlier and our younger kids start later,” school board member Rob Barron said. “Ultimately our job as a board is about handling community interests to create the best possible educational (environment).”

Such a decision is not without contention, however. Some parents worry about young children walking to school in the dark, or how they'll manage family schedules if teens finish class later than their younger siblings.

Tens of thousands of families could be affected by the change, along with employers, day care providers and civic groups. For the school district, there is no increased cost associated with the change.

Members of the public may share their views at Tuesday's board meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. at Central Campus, 1800 Grand Ave. The board is expected to discuss the proposal and could either vote Tuesday or on April 18.

Elected officials are considering the following switch for the 2017-18 or 2018-19 school years:

Elementary schools would begin at 7:50 a.m., roughly 30 minutes to an hour earlier

Middle schools would start at 8:35 a.m., 50 minutes later

High schools would start at 8:30 a.m., also 50 minutes later

Smouse and Van Meter schools, which serve students with disabilities, would begin at 9:15 a.m., an hour later

District leaders held multiple public forums and community meetings about the change, in addition to seeking online comments and emailing a voluntary online survey to parents, students and staff.

The survey found positive support for new the start times; 56 percent of parents and 65 percent of staff who responded were supportive of the change, according to the non-scientific survey of more than 8,600 people.

The survey also asked respondents about their support. It found that many wanted to reduce the risk of drowsy student driving, improve student health and benefit lower-income students.

However, it also found concerns about how the change would affect child care, prevent teens from working after school and affect after-school activities.

RELATED: Des Moines could push back school start times for older students

Over the last two decades, researchers have found that later start times for middle and high school students not only align with their physiological needs, but also positively affect their academics and social choices.

Teens who get the proper amount of sleep engage in fewer health-affecting activities such as using alcohol, drugs and cigarettes, said Kyla Wahlstrom, a senior researcher at the University of Minnesota who pioneered research on school start times.

Across the nation, more than 300 districts in 44 states have switched secondary school start times to 8:30 a.m. or later, she said.

In Iowa, Ankeny and West Des Moines schools already have later middle and high school start times. Davenport and Iowa City made the change recently, and Johnston and Dubuque schools are studying the issue.

Start times proposed

Des Moines school board members are considering the following start times. The proposal also adds five to 10 minutes to each school day; over the course of a school year, the time would add three additional staff training days. Changes could start in the 2017-18 or 2018-19 school years.

The board is expected to discuss and possibly vote Tuesday; officials may also postpone the decision until April 18.

The public may share their views at the board meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. at Central Campus, 1800 Grand Ave.