The Ashland School Committee, at a meeting last fall, officially set school start times for the 2017-2018 school year. The school committee adopted the following times:
David Mindess School:
7:55 am to 2:20 pm
Ashland Middle School:
8:15 am to 2:40 pm
Ashland High School:
8:20 am to 2:45 pm
Henry Warren School:
8:50 am to 3:15 pm
In a letter to Ashland families, School Superintendent Jim Adams explained, “In March, the School Committee considered a proposal brought forward by me, and officially passed a time range for Ashland Middle School and Ashland High School. The times were to be between 8:15 and 8:30. After spending seven more months meeting with extended day organizations, local athletic directors, and working through potential financial impacts, I presented a final recommendation this evening. [The] School Committee as part of their duties in setting policy has adopted the following times [listed above].”
“As a district, Ashland has been a leader in making student-centered decisions,” Adams said. “Our Blueprint for Continuous Student Improvement and School Committee goals are designed to respond to our student-centered needs, which include focusing on the social and emotional well-being of our students.
“The reality of changing school start times for adolescents may not yet have come to fruition in many MetroWest communities, but many districts in the Commonwealth are investigating the merits of such a change. We recognize that each family creates their own environment with regard to sleep, electronic screen time, and participation in outside of school hour events, however administration and the School Committee believe that sleep deprivation is truly a public health concern and are committed to providing our students with every opportunity to be as healthy as possible.”
Issue Date:
August, 2017
Article Body: