Brunswick-area schools adopt later start times

BRUNSWICK – Following the lead of schools in neighboring districts, the Brunswick school board has gone along with the recommendation of a national sleep expert by voting to push back the starting time for classes.

Starting this fall, the beginning and end of school will be 15 minutes later for grades K-5 and 30 minutes later for grades 6-12. The current school hours are 7:25 a.m. to 1:50 p.m. at the high school, 7:40 a.m. to 2:10 p.m. at the junior high and 8:40 a.m. to 2:55 p.m. at elementary schools.

By a vote of 6-2 with one abstention, the board adopted the schedule change intended to allow students to get more sleep. Wednesday’s vote follows similar action by School Administrative District 75 in the Topsham area and by Morse High School in Bath.

The changes are based on research that indicates later starting times will result in improved academic achievement and increased emotional well-being and safety for many students, Superintendent James Ashe told the Brunswick board.

Ashe said a systemwide survey of students, parents and staff that drew 2,200 responses indicated overwhelming support for the later start.

Overall, 57 percent supported the change, 33 percent were against it and 10 percent were undecided.

The SAD 75 board voted in February to change its starting times, adopting times that are within a few minutes of Brunswick’s new times. The Bath Board of Education last month approved a later start time, delaying the start at Morse High School by five minutes.

In Freeport, the school committee last month deferred a decision on implementing later start times because parents were concerned about younger students getting home after dark. Another concern was a likely increase in the amount of class time that would be missed by students leaving early to participate in after-school activities. The committee will reconsider the issue next year.

Other school districts in Maine are considering changes in starting times.

In a public talk last year in Brunswick, a national sleep expert said pushing back the starting times for high school classes would go a long way toward helping students combat daytime drowsiness.