Bend-La Pine panel reviews: When should school start?

Bend-La Pine Schools board members are inviting the community to learn more about the findings from a review of the district’s current school start times and a study of current research and practices relevant to school start times at their January meeting at Pilot Butte Middle School.

The event begins at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday January 23 with a presentation from Deputy Superintendent Jay Mathisen. Following the presentation, attendees will break into groups and rotate through three stations where they will learn more about each of the options considered. The evening will wrap up just before 7 p.m. with an opportunity for feedback from students, staff, parents and community members.

“We are looking forward to sharing what we learned and to hearing feedback about the work completed to date,” said Mathisen.

Mathisen said the committee’s work included a discussion of current logistical considerations relevant to school start times by level, district geographic size, number of schools, city bussing limitations, factors relevant to school bus routing design and clarification of walk zones by school level.

Additionally, the committee considered adolescent sleep pattern research, morning and afternoon childcare demands, afternoon and evening athletic and activities implications, student employment implications, and potential classroom instruction time loss.

After initial work and discussion, the committee focused on three start time scenarios: Sliding start times at all levels to a later time, flipping elementary start times with secondary (middle and high school) start times and maintaining current start times. The community and members of the Bend-La Pine Schools board of directors will have an opportunity to hear more about the scenarios reviewed during the evening event.

About the School Start Times Advisory Committee Work

In September of 2016, Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Shay Mikalson appointed a 20-member School Start Time Advisory Committee to review current school start times for district elementary, middle and high schools. The committee included a representation of school district staff and community members that brought perspectives from parents, community partners, teachers, support service leadership and school administrators.

Mikalson tasked the committee with making a recommendation to him in response to recent research released on optimal start times and community member questions and comments regarding current school start times at Bend-La Pine Schools.

Bend-La Pine Schools currently begins most secondary schools (middle and high schools) at 7:45 a.m. Most elementary schools begin each day at 9 a.m.

Details: The School Start Times Advisory Committee Findings Linkage meeting will take place at Pilot Butte Middle School on January 23, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided. Free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP at http://bit.ly/BLSschoolstarttimes