Duneland School District will institute new 2024-25 school year start times. The change affects every school in the district. The controversial decision sparks debate, and parents hold conflicting views on the change. Some think this will have a negative toll on students, others see potential benefits. Some students are excited about the chance to sleep in, while others dislike the disruption to their routine. The district defends adjustments as a necessary step and lots of discussion remains in the community. The new start times will be 7:30 a.m. – 2:20 p.m. for elementary students. 8:50 a.m.- 3:50 p.m. for Intermediate/Middle school students and 8:10 a.m. – 3:10 p.m. for High School students.
Many students have formed their own opinions on this topic and how they think it will affect their academic careers. The opinions range from positive to negative and some students don’t know which side to choose.
“I think the new times will make me more awake in the morning and ready to learn because I will be able to sleep in longer,” said CHS junior Jori Higdon.
This point has become a common view in the debate of the new times. Lots of students are excited to sleep in because they feel it is harder for them to retain information when they are still tired and waking up. Some students also feel that they will be less likely to fall asleep in class, making them miss the whole material. Other students have different views.
“I feel like they will impact negatively because moving the start time back also moves the start times of sports practice and other after-school activities back, while also affecting the end times which can go very late,” said CHS junior Aubrey Schilla
Many students at CHS participate in different sports teams, clubs, and other extracurriculars. Students are concerned that with their practices ending so late, they will not have time to study and complete homework to keep up with school. Many think the later start times could cause some issues within the district extracurricular activities.
“I think it’ll be fine but, ultimately, I think the middle school start times will cause some issues with teachers and their desire to take on clubs. Since the end time is around 4, a lot of teachers won’t be willing to stay till seven, which will cause a major problem in finding staffing for after school activities.” said English teacher Mr. Jacob Lukach
Most after-school activities and sports teams are staffed by teachers in the district who volunteer their time. With the times getting pushed back, teachers may be less likely to want to volunteer since they already have after-school work such as grading and planning for future lessons.
