School Start & End Times: Wiss Well-being
This website section will serve as a collective place to gather and share out all information related to the district's exploration of a possible change in school start and end times. Periodically, we will update these webpages as new resources and information are available.
Overview
In the 2021-2022 school year, one of our Board/District Goals was to examine revised school start and end times with the goal of providing additional sleep time for secondary students. Leading health organizations indicate that middle and high school students benefit physically, socially, emotionally and academically with adequate sleep (8.5-9.5 hours) and recommend that the school day start no earlier than 8:30am.
At the January 30, 2023, school board meeting, it was decided to postpone the decision on later school start and end times in order for the district to develop a detailed implementation plan so that all members of the Wissahickon school community can confidently review and assess benefits and challenges.
As of October 2023, no decisions have been made. The district is still gathering and analyzing feedback and the School Board is still reviewing the information. At the October 30 School Board meeting, the district presented two options for Board consideration listed below. A series of presentations on implementation details and feedback opportunities are scheduled at public board meetings through January 29, 2024. The Board is scheduled to vote on the proposed options on February 5, 2024.
Meetings and Presentation Schedule
To learn more about the district’s continued review of a possible change in school start and end times, the community is invited to attend/watch the upcoming School Board meetings. All meetings start at 7:00 PM and are held in the Central Office Board Room and livestreamed on the district's YouTube Channel: youtube.com/channel/WissahickonSD
View School Start and End Times Options Overview Flyer
View Presentation Series Flyer
- September 26: School Start and End Time Communication Plans
- October 30: School Start and End Time Schedule Details and Presentation, Sleep Science, by Dr. Anne Marie Morse, Geisinger Health/Founder of Wake Up and Learn
- November 13: Busing Details and Presentation, Adjusting School Start Time to Support Adolescent Sleep: What the Research Tells Us, by Dr. Jackie Kloss and Dr. Amanda Swain,Behavioral Sleep Medicine Associates
- December 4: A School District Case Study on Later School Start Times, by Radnor Township School District representatives
- December 11: After School Activities and Athletics, Childcare & NMTCC Details and Presentation, Sleep Patterns and School Start Times: Data from the Philadelphia Region, by Jonathan A. Mitchell, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania; Associate Editor, Sleep Health
- January 8: Overall Review & Feedback Opportunity
- January 29: Continued Review & Feedback Opportunity
- February 5: Board Vote
School Start and End Times Options: October 2023
