Dr. Addley
Last year the district established a community School Start Times Taskforce to study the impact of different school start times on students’ wellness and academic performance and to assess the feasibility of implementing new start times for all Granby schools.
The taskforce began its work last spring and presented its findings and recommendation at the May 1 Board of Education Meeting. The taskforce presented two options: Option A is the Push Model where all students would start school 40 minutes later and Option B is the Flip Model where the start times for the elementary schools and secondary schools would essentially flip.
| GMHS | GMMS | Wells Road | Kelly Lane | Cost | |
| Current School Start Times | 7:35 / 2:20 | 7:35 / 2:20 | 8:30 / 3:15 | 8:30 / 3:15 | $0 |
| Recommendation A: The Push | 8:15 / 3:00 | 8:15 / 3:00 | 9:10 / 3:55 | 9:10 / 3:55 | |
| Recommendation B: The Flip | 8:30 / 3:15 | 8:30 / 3:15 | 7:35 / 2:20 | 7:35 / 2:20 | $512,447 |
Based upon research; feedback from staff and parents; impact on families and athletics; transportation needs; and, cost, the taskforce recommended the adoption of Option A, The Push Model.
The board may decide to approve one of the options, take no action or adopt a revised version of one of the options. Should the board decide to change school start times, it will be important that the change is significant enough to be meaningful and worth any disruption.
There have been, and continue to be, several opportunities for the community to provide input on this topic via surveys, BOE meetings, Superintendent Forums, PAC/PTO meetings, a Community Forum, print sources, and social media. Presently, the BOE is scheduled to make a decision on this matter at its regularly scheduled meeting on June 19. If approved by the board, the adoption and implementation of any changes recommended by the taskforce would take place in the fall of 2020. The taskforce’s findings and recommendations have been posted on the district’s website.