DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Des Moines school officials are considering starting school earlier for elementary students and delaying start times for older students, saying research shows teenagers naturally fall asleep later at night.
Several school districts in Iowa have made similar changes, as have other schools nationwide, The Des Moines Register (https://dmreg.co/2n6HiaM ) reported.
District officials are considering beginning elementary schools at 7:50 a.m., about 30 minutes to an hour earlier. Middle schools and high schools would start 50 minutes later, around 8:30 a.m.
Van Meter and Smouse schools, which serve students with disabilities, would begin an hour later at 9:15 a.m.
The changes would affect tens of thousands of families, employers, child care providers and civics groups. A decision could come in April and take effect as early as this fall.
Local parent Samantha Meyers said she worries about elementary children walking to school in the dark if their schools start earlier. She said it would also put strains on families that can’t afford after-school care.
“There are so many downsides,” Meyers said.
But some parents applaud the change, including Bill Brauch. He said his daughter, Rachel, often doesn’t get the eight and a half to nine and a half hours of sleep recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
“Teenagers basically can’t fall asleep, even if they’re tired, until 10:45 or 11 p.m.,” said Kyla Wahlstrom, a senior researcher at the University of Minnesota who pioneered research on school start times two decades ago.
She said more than 300 school districts in 44 states have changed secondary school start times to 8:30 a.m. or later.
West Des Moines and Ankeny schools transitioned to later middle and high school start times at least a decade ago. Iowa City and Davenport made the switch recently, and Dubuque and Johnston schools are studying the issue.
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Information from: The Des Moines Register, https://www.desmoinesregister.com
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