Middle-school and high-school students in the Cherry Creek school district might face longer school days beginning in spring 2007 if a proposal for changing start and dismissal times is approved by the board of education March 20.
Under the proposal, the middle-school day would be 26 minutes longer than it is now, and the high-school day would be 20 minutes longer, according to Tustin Amole, Cherry Creek school district public information officer.
The proposal would add the equivalent of almost nine school days over the year, according to Scott Siegfried, Liberty Middle School principal.
Start and dismissal times would change at most schools. Most of the changes are at middle schools, many of which now start as early as 7:30 a.m. Under the proposal, middle schools would not start before 8:20 a.m. and would dismiss students at 3:40 p.m. at the earliest. Now, middle schools are dismissed as early as 2:15 p.m.
All elementary schools would begin at 8 a.m. and dismiss between 2:30 and 2:45 p.m. under the proposal. High school times would not change significantly.
The proposed change would adjust school times to conform with a four-week extension of Daylight Saving Time that begins in 2007.
Amole said the proposal is in response to parent requests and research findings that indicate adolescents function better if school starts later. Some parents also wanted their middle-schoolers to spend less time alone at home.
“The research shows that adolescent sleep patterns require them to need more sleep. They like to go to bed later and wake up later,” Amole said.
Amole said parents should contact their children’s schools between now and March to find out about informational meetings and to fill out questionnaires about the proposed changes.
Amole plans to post information about the proposed changes on the district’s website by Friday.
The school district has received positive and negative feedback from parents.
Susan Aron, who has a eighth-grade daughter at Campus Middle School, said she doesn’t think the proposal is a good idea.
“When are they going to do after-school sports and activities and get their homework done?” asked Aron. “It will drag on the day.”
“I think it’s stupid,” Katie Aron said. “And I’d have to do a lot of babysitting.”
Jessica Myers, also an eighth-grader at Campus, said she doesn’t like the idea because most of her favorite activities take place in the afternoon, and the changes would cut into her free time.
Charlotte Nieder, whose children go to Liberty Middle School and Grandview High School, said she and her son and daughter like the proposed changes.
“They can have more time to visit with a teacher to start homework early or get a better handle on a concept,” Nieder said.
As a father and a principal, Liberty’s Siegfried said he supports the proposal.
“Any time you add more time to instruction and learning that goes on, there will be a benefit to the kids,” Siegfried said. “And extra sleep will help.”
Siegfried said he recalled walking into middle-school classrooms and seeing many droopy eyes at 8 a.m.
