With five members who have never voted on the ever-present issue, the St. Paul school board appears ready to commit to an overhaul of school start times.
The board meets Tuesday to act on a resolution directing the superintendent to develop a plan for changing start times in fall 2018. The statement doesn’t clearly say that secondary students would start later in the morning, but that’s almost certain to be the case.
John Brodrick said the issue of teenagers getting too little sleep has at least been on the back-burner all 15 years that he’s served on the board. But parents of young children have objected to a draft plan that would force their kids to start their days earlier than they’re used to.
That plan, administrators have said, is likely to change.
“I think this motion will give us enough flexibility to be creative and to look at options that probably haven’t been considered today,” interim superintendent John Thein said.
But unless Metro Transit gets help from the state to expand its service to accommodate high school students, creating a class schedule that satisfies families at all grade levels appears, for now, to be impractical or unreasonably expensive.
Why is this an issue?
Sleep researchers say teenagers are meant to rest from around 10:45 p.m. to 8 a.m. daily, but most St. Paul middle and high schools start at 7:30 a.m. A lack of sleep in teens is associated with higher rates of depression and drug use, as well as car crashes.
How much sleep do St. Paul students get?
According to the latest state survey, the district’s high school juniors average 6.5 hours of sleep each night, and just 19 percent get the recommended eight hours or more. Eighth-graders reported getting seven hours and 10 minutes of sleep, while fifth-graders averaged eight hours and 20 minutes.
Are other school districts starting later?
Wayzata and Burnsville-Eagan-Savage moved to later schedules this fall, joining hundreds more nationally that have responded to the research in recent years. Mounds View also is considering a change.
So what’s the holdup?
The St. Paul district uses three different start times — 7:30, 8:30 and 9:30 — to save money on busing. If it simply moved middle and high schools to an 8:30 or 9:30 start, it would have to spend an estimated $8 million more per year on additional buses and drivers, and it’s unlikely that enough drivers willing to work shorter hours could be found. Moving elementary schools to the 7:30 tier raises other concerns.
Can’t high schoolers just take Metro Transit buses to school?
Metro Transit already serves Johnson and Creative Arts high schools but says it doesn’t have enough buses for so many more riders. The bus service would like to expand but says it can’t unless the state pays for a new bus garage.
Why don’t high schools start much later, like at 10:30?
Such a late schedule would leave little time for after-school sports and jobs.
Can’t the elementary schools just start earlier?
Sure. The district’s best plan so far is for 26 elementary schools to start at 7:45 a.m., with no student getting on a bus before 7 a.m. That would raise busing costs $2 million to $4.4 million per year.
But wouldn’t young kids lose out on sleep?
Maybe, but they’re more adaptable to different sleep schedules.
Besides the extra money, what’s the problem with that plan?
Earlier bedtimes would cut into family time, and more young children could be left unsupervised because they’d get home before their older siblings.
What is the board voting on Tuesday?
It’s a resolution that commits to changing start times in 2018-19 to align with “the health and academic best interests of SPPS students.” It does not commit to a particular schedule. District staff would figure out the details in the coming months.
Why wait till 2018-19?
The district likes for families to know by November exactly what each school’s schedule will be for the following school year. Plus another year would give the myriad affected organizations and families in the city time to prepare.
Is the resolution likely to pass?
Probably. Of the seven board members, Chue Vue is the only one to consistently speak against it, although Brodrick has voted both for and against a change.
What does the public think?
District surveys have indicated about half want to keep the current schedules, but many acknowledge they’re bad for adolescents.
How might new start times affect enrollment?
Such a major change would certainly push many students — as well as some teachers and other staff — to change schools. The district has counted 19 elementary charter schools in the area that start during the 8 a.m. hour, so an earlier start could hurt the public district.
How might this affect the search for a new superintendent?
Thein, the interim superintendent, said he wants to get as much of the legwork done himself so the district’s new leader can start with a clean plate.
What else will the board consider?
They’re just beginning to think about how to address racial segregation and various inequities among schools. St. Paul has some well-resourced, popular elementary schools and several others that almost no one is excited to attend. Start times could play a role in creating a better balance.