Des Moines could push back school start times for older students

Des Moines Public Schools is reinvigorating a decades-old debate: Should the district let teens sleep later each morning by delaying the start time of middle and high schools? Should elementary classes start earlier?

A decision could come in early April and take effect as soon as this fall. Any change would affect tens of thousands of families, as well as employers, child care providers and civics groups.

Des Moines is far from alone in this thought process. More Iowa schools are joining a national movement to align school times to students' sleep rhythms. Study after study has shown that teenagers naturally fall asleep later each night, and that starting school later in the morning can bring positive changes.

"Teenagers basically can't fall asleep, even if they're tired, until 10:45 or 11 p.m." said Kyla Wahlstrom, a senior researcher at the University of Minnesota who pioneered research on school start times two decades ago.

Ankeny and West Des Moines schools transitioned to later middle and high school start times at least a decade ago. Davenport and Iowa City made the change recently, and Johnston and Dubuque schools are studying the issue.

Across the nation, more than 300 districts in 44 states have switched secondary school start times to 8:30 a.m. or later, Wahlstrom said.

Des Moines school officials are considering the following changes:

• Elementary schools would begin at 7:50 a.m., roughly 30 minutes to an hour earlier 
• Middle schools would start at 8:35 a.m., 50 minutes later 
• High schools would start at 8:30 a.m., also 50 minutes later
• Smouse and Van Meter schools, which serve students with disabilities, would begin at 9:15 a.m., an hour later

Some families applaud the district's effort. “When we first learned what the (current) schedule was for middle school, to say we were outraged was probably an understatement,” said parent Bill Brauch.

His daughter Rachel often wakes as early as 6 a.m. to attend orchestra practice before middle school, but because she has difficulty going to sleep until later in the evening, she doesn't get the 8½ to 9½ hours of sleep recommended for teens by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

But other parents are wary. “There are so many downsides,” Samantha Meyers said. She worries about elementary children walking to school in the dark, especially on streets without sidewalks, if their schools start 30 minutes to an hour earlier.

Meyers, a single mother, also said it would put strains on families who cannot afford after-school care or who rely on older siblings to provide child care after school.

Des Moines' proposal would mean elementary schools letting out at 2:45 p.m. most days. Middle and high school students would not get out until 3:30 p.m.

“It’s going to be very, very disruptive for a lot of people," she said.

Research backs change

Health organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommend starting middle and high school at 8:30 a.m. or later. Yet in 2011, fewer than one in five middle and high school students did, according to research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Wahlstrom's studies found that later start times for middle and high school students not only align with their physiological needs, but also positively affect their academics and social choices.

Teens who get the proper amount of sleep engage in fewer health-affecting activities such as using alcohol, drugs and cigarettes, she said.

In Edina, a wealthy suburb of Minneapolis, staff reported drastic improvement in the school's climate after the high school switched from starting at 7:15 to 8:30 a.m.

Fewer teens were tardy or absent, passing times were calmer, fewer disruptions broke out in the cafeteria, and teens reported fewer issues with friends or feelings of depression to school counselors, school staff told Wahlstrom.

In other studies she conducted, after start times were adjusted the grades students earned in first period math, science and social studies classes went up, a sign of improved learning.

When Minneapolis Public Schools, an urban district, made the switch, it noticed other improvements: The district's drop-out rate fell by 15 percentage points over five years, she said.

"The bottom line is that it just really helps kids," Wahlstrom said, explaining that many teens "try all kinds of things to get out of bed, but before their brain is awake, it's tough."

Dr. Nathan Boonstra, a pediatrician at Blank Children's Hospital, said that sleep cycles shift about two hours later into the evening after teens reach puberty. Instead of falling asleep around 9 p.m., as children might, teens typically fall asleep around 11 p.m.

Although other measures — such as limiting screen time or distractions before bed — can help ensure a restful night's sleep, they can't change a teenager's sleep clock.

"There's this perception that teenagers stay up late by choice," Boonstra said. "That can certainly happen, but there's also a very real biological change that happens."

Iowa changes

Given that research, Des Moines leaders believe a later secondary start time can help students here, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Currently, teens from low-income families are two to three times more likely to miss first period and the free breakfasts offered before classes start, said Tim Schott, Des Moines' executive director for secondary schools.

"Their attendance, literally, is suffering as a result," he said.

It's not the first time Des Moines has studied the issue. Roughly a decade ago, district leaders proposed the switch but met challenges with cost and community support.

This time, the proposal is cost-neutral, thanks to an improved partnership with DART that allows teens to take public transportation to school.

In addition, Des Moines parents, staff and community members are being asked to fill out an online survey, which is available in multiple languages, and submit comments or concerns online.

Other Iowa districts have met resistance. Sioux City schools decided against a time switch after gathering input from families during the 2007-08 school year.

In addition, a recent survey among Johnston families and staff found that they could adjust to or simply preferred different start times, but when asked about actually making the switch, they were neutral.

Johnston leaders decided not to make changes for the 2017-18 school year, but will continue studying the issue, district spokeswoman Laura Sprague said.

Wahlstrom acknowledges it can be a tough adjustment for families, as well as the greater community, since changing start times creates a domino effect that forces changes to before- and after-school activities, as well as family or job schedules.

"Think about how many different things your junior high and high school children are involved in," said parent Karina Casini. "We're already in a crunch time for gym time and space."

Start times proposed 

Des Moines school board members are considering the following start times. The proposal also adds 5 to 10 minutes to each school day; over the course of a school year, the time would add three additional staff training days to the calendar.

The board expects to make a decision in early April, and changes would be made in the 2017-18 or 2018-19 school years:

• Elementary schools that now start at 8:15 or 8:45 a.m. would begin earlier, at 7:50 a.m., and conclude at 2:45 p.m.
• Middle schools that now start at 7:45 a.m. would begin later, at 8:35 a.m., and conclude at 3:30 p.m.
• High schools that now start at 7:40 a.m. would begin later, at 8:30 a.m., and conclude at 3:30 p.m. 
• Smouse and Van Meter schools, which serve students with disabilities, now start at 8:15 a.m. They would begin later, at 9:15 a.m., and conclude at 4:10 p.m. 

Learn more

Two community forums are scheduled this week: 

• Thursday morning:  8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the Des Moines schools administrative building, 2100 Fleur Drive, Conference Room B .
• Thursday evening: 6 to 7 p.m. at Weeks Middle School library, 901 E. Park Ave.