This school district proposes later school start times to give teens better sleep

Susan Bromley | Hometown Life

Teens aren't getting enough sleep, and an early start to the school day doesn't help.

Classes shouldn’t start before 8:30 a.m. for high school and middle school students, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the morning bell rings at least an hour earlier at most local high schools and before 8 a.m. at many middle schools.

One local district is looking to change that.

Administrators in the Novi Community School District recently presented their findings from a year-long investigation into school start times to the board of education.

"Sleep is the most researched component for kids to stay healthy mentally at school," Andrew Comb, Novi Middle School assistant principal, said. Comb, said the committee recommends delaying the start times for high school and middle school by 45 minutes.

He noted that adolescents age 12-18 do best with at least nine hours of sleep and quoted statistics from the CDC that 58% of middle schoolers and 73% of high schoolers are getting less sleep than they need, resulting in increased risks of depression, poor academic performance and negative behaviors including substance abuse and unprotected sex.

Citing sleep studies

By contrast, studies done on schools with delayed start times in states including Colorado, Minnesota and Virginia showed conclusive results of increased attendance rates, attention spans, student-family interaction and grade point averages, as well as decreased disciplinary action and daytime sleepiness. These results came from both urban and rural schools that had later start times, regardless of students socio-economic background, he said.

Jill Minnick, Novi assistant superintendent for business and operations, pointed to California, which last month approved legislation for later school start times statewide.

Minnick said the Novi committee researched how school start times could be changed here, studying transportation and sports schedules and taking into consideration child care schedules, with a goal of minimizing disruption while maximizing benefits.

“Individual situations change as children age,” she acknowledged. “A lot of families depend on the older kids, but one of our district’s goals is to promote a culture of well-being and if we are to honor that, this (later start time) is an element.”

The committee ultimately settled on several recommendations for school days in coordination with the transportation and athletic directors:

8 a.m. to 2:44 p.m. at Novi High School;

8:30 a.m. to 3:11 p.m. at Novi Middle School;

9 a.m. to 3:52 p.m. at all elementary schools in the district; and

Novi Meadows, which houses fifth and sixth grades, school would begin earlier, 7:30 a.m. and end at 2:22 p.m.

Advantages cited by the committee included the high school and middle school students potentially getting 45 more minutes of sleep in the morning; Meadows students being dismissed earlier than elementaries, allowing older students to be home before their younger siblings; equity for all elementary schools to be on the same schedule; no change in CARE or ECEC bell times; maintaining bus driver hours and traffic flow on Taft.

Drawbacks and concerns included still not meeting the 8:30 a.m. recommended start time for high school; younger students at bus stops in the dark; and possible impacts to after-school activities and athletic schedules and transportation.

“One thing we can control is what we do here in Novi,” Athletic Director Brian Gordon said. “With us getting out at 2:44 p.m. and most of the spring contests starting at 4 p.m., we would be in good shape.”

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Gordon said potential obstacles include a lack of lights at the majority of athletic facilities, as well as the distance to be traveled to schools in the multi-county league and the traffic backups found in the northwest suburbs. Still, he believes the proposed starting times for both the middle school and high school is doable.

“It will absolutely work in athletics, as long as we work with transportation,” he said.

Superintendent Steve Matthews said the district would limit before school activities, as well, including swim and dive practices which typically occur early in the morning and discuss making everything after school.

"We think this has the potential to be successful," Matthews said. "Every year, especially with eighth grade students going into ninth grade, we have parents who say high school starts too early."

Talking to families

Several mothers approached during a recent book club meeting at the Novi Library supported the idea delaying school start times.

Melissa Morse said she and her eighth-grade son are excited about the proposed change, particularly since he has to get up at 6:30 a.m. and isn’t ready for bed before 10 p.m. on any given day. Her daughter, facing an earlier time next year when she starts fifth grade, is a different story.

“She’s not excited, but she will get home by 2:22 and can manage her time by herself,” she said. “She’s also a kid who wants to do after school stuff.”

Sharon Trumpy said both of her sons, one who will be at the middle school next year and one in high school, would be relieved as they are constantly exhausted. The idea appeals to her, too.

“I am grateful to see the district is following the research to the benefit of my boys,” she said.

Middle school parent Jen Alindogan was dropping off her son at school just before Thanksgiving break. She said she would prefer keeping current school hours.

“I’d rather be earlier than late,” she said. “If you do later, it would be dark.”

Scott Stowitts, who has one child at the middle school and one at the high school, said he would have to rearrange his schedule to get to work in Detroit with a time change, but added that it could be managed.

“It’s really about traffic, but I understand (the change) would be beneficial,” he said. “I’m not opposed, it’s just an adjustment. I’m sure the kids would be happy.”

Jack Reddy, a Novi High sophomore, said he would be among those happy students. He usually falls asleep at about 12:30 a.m. and is tired for the first two hours of the school day.

“Parents don’t really know. I can’t get to sleep on time,” Reddy said. “I think (a later start time) would be helpful for students. They can get more sleep and be more focused in the morning.”

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But Abbey Pheiffer, a Novi junior, said she would not like the change, particularly as a soccer player whose practices and homework would be pushed later.

“Right now I go to bed earlier, because I get stuff done early,” she said. “When I play club soccer, practices don’t change and I try to get homework done before. I wouldn’t have time (with a later school start) and would also have to eat after and do homework after and all that. I would get the same amount of sleep, just later.”

Next steps

The proposed changes to school start times in Novi will be a topic of discussion at the Dec. 5 board of education meeting. Matthews said he hopes the board will take a vote on the proposed change at the Dec. 19 meeting. If approved, the new hours possibly can be implemented before fall.

“We want to communicate early and often to families in district and to staff, for what the changes would be for the 2020-21 school year,” said Matthews.

Board Secretary Willy Mena said he was interested in the reaction of parents. The district has not conducted any parent surveys or similar measures to gauge public opinion.

“We have to look at the best interest of students, but a change to start times could alter the family structure,” he said. “Parents pay the bills and should have a say.”

Contact reporter Susan Bromley at sbromley@hometownlife.com or 517-281-2412. Follow her on Twitter @SusanBromley10.