After months of studying the possibility of changing school start times, the Board of Education's School Start Time Committee presented a "Revised Option 5" to the school board at its meeting on June 6.Revised Option 5A Shuttle Systemnewtown.k12.ct.usPublic ParticipationThis story is expanded from the version offered in The Newtown Bee print edition of June 9, 2017, which did not include comments from parents.

During the presentation, committee members explained they looked at eight transportation options before "revising" a fifth option, which was explained at the meeting as a two-tier bus system that would involve Reed Intermediate School and elementary school students sharing buses and a shuttle system for Reed students between schools in the afternoon.

The committee's work began when the school board charged Superintendent of Schools Joseph V. Erardi, Jr, with forming a committee to "research the possibilities of changing school schedules based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation that middle and high schools start at 8:30 am or later."

The original motion led to the committee meeting regularly on Mondays. It broke into three subcommittees to research different aspects of changing school start times. Each subcommittee was represented during the presentation.

Dr Erardi said on Tuesday that he believed the School Start Time Committee was bringing the school board an "investigation that has been unanimously endorsed" by committee members.

Along with Dr Erardi, School Start Time Committee members were Ellen Aho, Alan Colangelo, Jean Evans Davila, Richard Dufour, Thomas Einhorn, Jessica Fonovic, Kathy Gombos, Trent Harrison, Kimberly Joyce, Michelle Ku, Matthew Memoli, David Roach, Lorrie Rodrigue, James Ross, John Vouros, Heidi Werner, and Daniel Cruson, Jr.

"Our work was based around one strong belief: that the decisions we were going to make as a committee were centered around what was best for children," said Dr Erardi.

Research subcommittee members shared how the group attended the National Adolescent Sleep, Health, and School Start Times Conference in Washington, DC, April 27 and 28.

Subcommittee member Assistant Superintendent of Schools Jean Evans Davila also reported findings from a "Newtown Parent/Guardian Survey," which was shared with district parents by e-mail. According to a handout shared at the meeting, 1,083 people responded to the survey. The top most important things reported by parents in the survey were the impact of teen sleep deprivation, parent/guardian work schedules, daylight hours for transportation, the possibility of longer bus rides, and cost neutrality. The subcommittee also offered some follow-up suggestions for the school board to consider, including reviewing the district's homework position and considering limits on end times for school-sponsored activities.

Another subcommittee looked at "Student Voice" and after school activities. The subcommittee surveyed roughly 1,000 students at Newtown High School and a "majority" of Newtown Middle School, according to subcommittee Chair and NHS Assistant Principal David Roach.

"We thought it was pertinent the first thing that our subcommittee would do, since we are Student Voice, was go to the students," said Mr Roach.

Mr Roach and Student Voice subcommittee member Trent Harrison explained some of the survey results, including that the majority of the seventh to twelfth grade students surveyed said they would prefer going to school from 8 am to 2:42 pm.

While Mr Harrison said most students surveyed reported waking up between 5:30 am and 6 am, the research shared by the Research subcommittee offered that the most crucial time to sleep for teens is between 5 am and 6 am, when it is more likely for them to experience rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Pushing the school start time back by at least 30 minutes, Mr Harrison said, would allow students to fully sleep through that time of the day. The final option proposed by the School Start Time Committee pushes the school start time to 40 minutes later than its current time, according to the presentation.

The Transportation subcommittee looked at the options for transporting students to school. NHS Principal Lorrie Rodrigue presented the subcommittee's work. All-Star Transportation Co-Owner Rich Dufour was a member of the committee, but he could not attend the June 6 school board meeting.

Dr Rodrigue shared explanations for the eight different proposed transportation options, before returning to describe the final "revised Option 5."

The other options were mostly described as being either too costly or not capable of meeting ideal start and end times.

"Revised Option 5 was deemed most favorable," said Dr Rodrigue, adding later that both two- and three-tier busing options were looked at by the subcommittee.

Revised Option 5 was presented as a two-tier system. NHS, NMS, St Rose of Lima School, Housatonic Valley Waldorf School, and Fraser Woods Montessori School would be in the first tier, with Reed, Newtown's elementary schools, and busing for magnet schools in the second tier. School days would run from 8 am to 2:32 for NHS and NMS, 7:50 am to 2:50 pm for St Rose of Lima School, 8:15 am to 3 pm for Housatonic Valley Waldorf School and Fraser Woods Montessori School, 8:55 am to 3:27 am for Reed, 9:05 am to 3:37 pm for the elementary schools, and 9 am to 3:30 pm for magnet schools.

According to the school district, current school days run from 7:20 am to 2:02 for NHS and NMS, 8 am to 2:50 pm for St Rose of Lima School, 8:15 am to 3 pm for Housatonic Valley Waldorf School and Fraser Woods Montessori School, 8:05 am to 2:49 pm for Reed, and 9:05 am to 3:37 pm for the elementary schools.

With ongoing work on bus routes, Dr Rodrigue said the subcommittee believes Revised Option 5 "may eventually" be cost neutral rather than costing roughly $62,000 over Newtown's current system, which was projected in the presentation.

"This option meets our objectives to provide a later start time and definitely more sleep for our middle and high school students," said Dr Rodrigue. "This does not change the schedule for the young elementary schools. It does change the start time for Reed, and this does also require the use of buses to shuttle students from Reed to the four elementary schools."

The presentation also listed pros and cons of Revised Option 5. Pros included moving the NHS and NMS school start time later by 40 minutes, being least disruptive to after school activities and sports compared to the other options, having the least disruption for magnet schools, having no change for St Rose of Lima School, and possibly being cost neutral.

Cons listed included the potential $62,000 cost if it is not cost neutral, combining Reed and the elementary schools on the same bus routes, which would lengthen bus ride times by 10 to 20 minutes, decreasing high school and middle school day by ten minutes, and decreasing the Reed school day by 12 minutes. The presentation also said the decrease in school day minutes would "be implemented to achieve minimal impact to instructional time."

Dr Erardi later explained the proposed shuttle system for Reed students. In the morning, he said, the Reed and elementary buses would first drop off Reed students at their school, which would lengthen ride times for elementary school students in the morning. In the afternoon the Reed students would be shuttled to their former elementary schools to get on buses with elementary school students to ride home, which would make the afternoon run longer for Reed students. Dr Erardi said all fifth and sixth grade students riding buses to elementary schools would be returned to their former elementary school.

Since a concern was shared with him on June 5 for sixth graders returning to Sandy Hook Elementary School, Dr Erardi said mental health providers are looking for solutions for those situations.

While Board of Education Vice Chair Michelle Ku said the "evidence is concrete" that later start times are healthier for students, she said the hard part will be figuring out the logistics. She said she was impressed with the work the committee accomplished and said the school board's eventual decision on the matter could potentially affect "every single student in this district."

School Board member John Vouros said one thing he learned from attending the National Adolescent Sleep, Health, and School Start Times Conference in Washington is there is no perfect way to change school start times. He reminded all present that the decision would also be for younger students who will eventually attend the middle school and high school.

Offering a look back at the school board's original charge to investigate starting the high school and middle school day at 8:30 am, board member Dan Cruson, Jr, said the proposed 8 am start time aligns with giving students time to sleep and reflects the survey results for preferred start times locally.

.School board members and public participation speakers voiced a range of questions regarding the proposal. Dr Erardi said the district would work to post questions and answers on its website,

Board member Andrew Clure asked for Dr Erardi to look into the possible cost of hiring a "unbiased" consultant to look at the bus routes before the school board's next scheduled meeting, June 20. The school board discussed finalizing its decision on school start times for its next meeting. Dr Erardi warned against waiting too long to make a decision, saying All-Star Transportation would need time to configure bus routes before the 2017-18 school year begins, if the board chooses to implement the change for next school year.

Nancy White was the first to speak during the public participation portion of the meeting.

"My main concern is the transportation option," Ms White said. "I am all for the school start change... Prior to being a mom I worked in corporate America. Every day we sat down to work on something we always said KISS; this is an acronym designed by the Navy. It means Keep It Simple, Stupid."

The Revised Option 5, Ms White went on to say, is not simple.

"Most systems work best when they are kept simple," she said. "I feel that the transportation option for Tier 2, which is Reed and elementaries [sic], does not follow this design principle."

Ms White noted morning routes that she said are projected to be upward of 60 minutes for elementary school students. She also expressed concern with the proposed shuttle system for Reed students to elementary schools in the afternoon, and the associated longer bus routes for Reed students in the afternoon.

Speakers, including Ms White, also shared concern for impacts to after school activities at Reed if the proposed schedule is implemented.

Resident and parent Lucia Kortze said, "I have read through all of the minutes and I am very disappointed. ... There needs to be an option that while we can allow the older kids to have more sleep it should not be at the expense of the younger children."

Ms Kortze's son currently has a 45-minute bus ride in elementary school, she said, before asking how adding 20 more minutes to the ride is in the best interest of the children.

"Another concern is riding to your elementary school, getting off the bus only to get back onto another neighborhood bus," said Ms Kortze, adding that she expects it to be difficult for the district staff to manage and oversee.

She also asked the school board, "Did the committee survey the Reed students and ask them how they feel about a longer bus ride?"

Explaining that she has children at NHS and at an elementary school, Laura Terry said from a high school perspective it is an important topic "and we need to do something about it."

However, Ms Terry said she believes more information is needed for the school board to make a decision.

"I think [all the] options need to be revised, just like Option 5 has been revised," she said. "If you look at Option 8 and you look at Revised Option 5 they are the same, but the cost is way different."

She said she understands wanting to rush the decision, but said it should not be rushed.

"This is a very important topic and we should do it right," said Ms Terry.

Resident and St Rose of Lima School parent Mona Maine de Biran thanked the committee for the "concessions" for the school in the revised schedule.

"In general I want to speak as a mother of elementary school children," Ms Maine de Biran said. "I think that all the science and the research that has been put forward for the benefit of the middle school and high school children is valid and I find it very informational... I'd like to see some science and some research on the effects this would have on the elementary school children."

Ms Maine de Biran said she is worried elementary school children may be at a cognitive disadvantage.

"Their cycle for learning is optimal in the morning and not in the afternoons, and they benefit from an earlier start," said Ms Maine de Biran. She suggested aligning time to research sleep for elementary school students with the school district's bus contract with All-Star Transportation to potentially bid routes with other bus companies to save money for the town.

If the Revised Option 5 ends up costing $62,000, Ms Maine de Biran asked where the money would come from. "We can't keep increasing the taxes," she said, sharing concern for local senior citizens and state budget issues.

While school district parent Karen Roszman said others may see the proposed shuttling system as a "red flag," she said she thinks her children would find it offers an opportunity to be responsible. She said the school board should find creative ways to implement the school start time schedule, like rewarding students with good behavior with bus monitor duties and combining neighborhood bus stops to shorten routes to decrease ride times.

Speaking as a "new mom" with a kindergartner entering school in the fall, Kathryn Burke expressed concerns about longer bus rides for young students. She also asked if the shuttle system would be made accessible for students with disabilities.

Other speakers also raised questions about the cost of the proposed option, how transportation for Henry Abbott Technical High School students would work, and whether the school board has enough time to consider its decision.