Woodland 50 finalizes later start times for older students

Citing student health and achievement, the Woodland District 50 school board in Gurnee will move to later school start times for older children in the fall over the concerns of some in the community who pushed for a delay.

Woodland District 50 parent-teacher association President Antoinette Corelis was among several who asked the board at a meeting Thursday night to hold off on new start times for another year.

"Please, please, please delay," Corelis said. "Let's take the time to do this right."

The board, however, voted 5-0 in favor of finalizing the start time change. Children in third grade and below will start earlier, while those in fourth through eighth grade will start later.

The district has been working on start times for more than a year. In March 2018, the board voted to move up the research and eventual implementation of later start times as part of its five-year strategic plan. Late last year, the district conducted community outreach efforts.

Board member Chris Schrantz said before the vote Thursday that even though the district has been working on start times for a year and a half he wasn't sure if the broader community has been involved that long.

"I think for a lot of them it's new as of November or December," Schrantz said. "Given all the response we've received I say implement it in 2021."

Schrantz and board member Lizzy Helgren both abstained from the vote.

Board member Joseph De Rosa disagreed with Schrantz and said even though it was a big change he believed in the district's ability to get it done properly.

"For me this is an issue about student academic achievement and student health," De Rosa said. "I'm not willing to say we should sacrifice a year of potential harm to student academic achievement and student health while we continue to not make the change."

Many health authorities, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, advocate starting school for older children no earlier than 8:30 a.m. to ensure students get enough sleep.

Currently, District 50 middle school students begin their day at 7:30 a.m.; fourth- and fifth-grade students begin at 8:10 a.m.; first-, second- and third-graders begin at 8:50 a.m.; and preschool and kindergarten children begin at 9:20 a.m.

The proposed schedule calls for middle school students to begin their day at 8:30 a.m.; fourth- and fifth-grade students to begin at 9:20 a.m.; first-, second- and third-graders to begin at 7:45 a.m.; and preschool and kindergarten children to begin at 7:55 a.m.

Superintendent Joy A. Swoboda said the district will send more information about the new start times, including how they affect after-school programs and specific bus pickups, over the coming months.