Oregon School District hears parent feedback on proposed hours change
Oregon elementary schools could start earlier next year, drawing concerns from some parents.
According to a
elementary schools could begin at 7:45 a.m., 15 to 20 minutes earlier than the current start times. The student day would also increase by 20 minutes.
The proposal would also change the school hours for older students. Currently, Oregon Middle School starts at 7:55 a.m. The high school starts at 8 a.m. The change would push the day back, to begin at 8:30 a.m.
Superintendent Brian Busler said the later start time reflects the recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics. A
by the Academy says, in part, “… delaying school start times is an effective countermeasure to chronic sleep loss and has a wide range of potential benefits to students with regard to physical and mental health, safety, and academic achievement.”
Busler said that elementary schools could start earlier, partly, to help ease the bus routes between the district schools.
Jennifer Hans is the parent of a kindergartener at Prairie View Elementary School. She said an earlier start and a longer day could create “the perfect storm.”
“Morning time is a struggle already,” she said. “We know our kids need sleep. They need breakfast and a stable, non-rushed morning. Taking twenty minutes away from that is going to make it worse.”
She added that elementary school kids would take a hit, citing research from The University of Kentucky. She said that an earlier start could lead to behavioral problems and lower achievement.
Hans suggested that she would prefer a later start time for her kindergartener, but if she has to compromise, she said that the same start for elementary schools will do.
“We are a 4K through high school district so we have to balance out what is best in the big picture for all of our students, and that's no easy task,” Busler said.
The district is still in the listening phase for the working proposal. The superintendent said that the district will take more feedback to submit to the board on Dec. 16. He added that the board will make a decision no later than Jan. 13.
