Editorial: Dist. 214 takes good step toward issues of student stress, sleep

It's a safe bet that a majority of parents with a high school student have lamented either how tired or busy their son or daughter is as they juggle academics and extracurricular activities.

In recent years, schools have tried to reconcile studies that show adolescents are not getting proper sleep by adjusting or at least attempting to adjust school start times.

It's not an easy task as many unit districts, for example, must balance start times at middle and elementary schools and the busing of all those students in an economical manner.

That's why Barrington Unit District 220 earlier this year delayed a decision on later start times until a solution could be worked out.

But this week, Northwest Suburban High School District 214 took a different approach to this problem of an increasing sleep-deprived and stressed-out student body.

And at first glance - we like it. It's unique because not only would classes start later (8:20 a.m. instead of 7:30 a.m.) and end later (around 3:10 p.m. instead of 2:45 p.m.) but rules on extracurricular time after school and homework time over holidays and breaks would also be implemented. Some highlights include:

• Thursday late starts would be eliminated. Class periods would shorten from 50 minutes to 48 minutes.

• After-school co-curricular activities could not go more than two hours with the exception of varsity sports, which would be limited to two hours and 45 minutes.

• All after-school practices, rehearsals and meetings would end by 7:30 p.m.

• Homework would not be assigned over Homecoming weekend, Thanksgiving break, winter break, Presidents Day weekend or spring break.

• Two weeks would be blocked out over the summer with no competitions, summer camps or clinics.

It's a holistic approach that will benefit students, staff and their families.

"I'm focused on making sure our kids enjoy their experience," said District 214 Superintendent David Schuler. "There is so much pressure and stress on them - we have to do something to give them permission to take a few things off their plates."

It's a refreshing point of view. A committee of teachers and administrators, including Schuler, came up with the plan which would begin in the 2017-18 school year. The District 214 school board will discuss it at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Forest View Administrative Center, 2525 S. Goebbert Road, Arlington Heights. Parents, students, coaches, band directors and others affected should let their thoughts be known. It will be a significant change for all (lunch, for example, would be cut from 50 minutes to 35 minutes) but we like the way the district is thinking and even if they tinker with some of the details, this is a step in the right direction for students and that should be the priority.