Students at ConVal High School are the least alert out of all students in the district during the first class of the day, a survey this month of all teachers in the district found.
High school teachers reported 28.6 percent of their students can “easily focus” during the first class of the day, compared to 83.7 percent of elementary school teachers and 46.9 percent of middle school teachers.
Administrators conducted the survey at the request of the ConVal School Board’s Education Committee, as the committee digests a call from students, administrators and parents for a later start time at the high school and two middle schools.
The school day at the high school starts at 7:35 a.m., while the elementary schools start at 8:40 a.m.
The movement for a later start time started among high school students and an ad-hoc committee of educators, health professionals and parents.
High school students researched the importance of sleep for teenagers, while Brian Pickering, the high school principal, Ben Loi, the principal of Peterborough Elementary School, a pediatrician, school nurse, other staff members and parents formed a committee to look into the matter themselves. They presented their conclusions to the Education Committee in October and early this month.
Although committee members agreed a later start time would benefit students, they were hung up on high school students and kindergarten students sharing a bus.
The survey found parents share this concern.
According to the survey, the greatest obstacle towards pushing back the school day at the three upper schools is ensuring high school and elementary school students don’t ride the bus together. When asked about students of all ages riding the bus together, 50.5 percent of parents were opposed to it, with 34.6 percent of parents being strongly opposed.
The group of adults and high schoolers plan to report further findings at the committee’s next meeting May 15, and follow up with a presentation in June.
Benji Rosen can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 228, or brosen@ledgertranscript.com.