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*** Update as of Dec. 7***
To: Washington Township Community
From: School Board & Administration
Re: School Hours Review
We appreciate the active engagement of the school community with school hours feedback Spring 2018 to current.
The study on school hours began in 2017 due to extensive research that continues to provide evidence that adolescent students perform better if their school day starts later in the day. As students mature into the adolescent stage, their sleep/wake cycle changes. Students in this stage of life tend to be more alert, focus better, and make better decisions if/when their academic day starts as near to 8:30 AM as possible. In addition to behavioral benefits, studies indicate that fewer automobile accidents involving teenager drivers occur if the students are on the road later in the day.
Based on community feedback however and continued complexities with transportation we would like to continue the study on school hours in 2019 which means there will not be a vote on school hours at the December 12 School Board Meeting. Therefore, the school hours for the 2019-20 school year will remain the same as current for all levels.
We hope you continue to remain engaged with this important study. Up to date information will be posted at https://www.msdwt.k12.in.us/enrollment-rebalancing-school-hours/ .
***Update as of Dec.6***
The recent community survey on School Hours is currently closed.
***Update as of Nov. 29***
Community Survey on School Hours for Washington Township
Please take a few minutes and give your feedback on the community survey to assist us in determining the school hours of Washington Township Schools effective for the 2019-20 school year. Throughout an extensive study of school hours, the School Board has reviewed several options. The most recent options, based on community feedback, were presented at the November 28 School Board meeting. The presentation can be found at the School Hours page link at the bottom of this page. The options are also based on constraints including complex transportation needs involving bus fleet utilization, windows of time needed between tiers, and main campus traffic challenges. Please share your input by December 5 at 5:00 PM so the Board has time to review your feedback before the December 12 Board meeting.
Take the survey to give input on the current options:
This survey was live from 11/29 – 12/5
***Survey Closes Wednesday December 5, at 5:00 PM***
*** Update as of Nov. 14 ***
District administration is currently re-evaluating school hours based on new information that was received through a trial transportation run on November 6th.
Administration is working as quickly as possible to draft a recommendation for both the order of our schools (which school goes first, second, and third in the sequence) as well as the actual starting and end times of the school day. The target is to have a recommendation to the Board on November 28 and a decision prior to the end of first semester.
***
Research, along with advocacy from groups such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, continues to support later school start times for adolescent students. Some of the advantages, according to studies, of a later middle school and high school start time include:
- Later start times align with the sleep/wake cycle of adolescents, improving alertness and school engagement;
- Schools with later start times have seen improvement in areas such as academic achievement, truancy rates, and student behavior;
- Fewer automobile accidents involving teen drivers.
We invite stakeholders to review research and more information on the topic of school start times at the link below. The Board of Education will vote on school hours in November.
