Mercer Island School District has 2nd thoughts on late-start school plan
Mercer Island students may be an hour and a half behind schedule next school year - but they won’t be running late.
A Wednesday late start, which would push all school start times back by 90 minutes on Wednesdays, has been proposed to replace the current early-release Monday. But the decision, made last spring by the School Board and former Superintendent Cyndy Simms, has sparked so many community concerns that the district is reconsidering its plan.
“I don’t think they [the School Board] anticipated this impact and level of interest on the part of parents,” said Toby Suhm, president of the Mercer Island PTA council.
About 1,200 parents and students have responded to an online survey about the changes, said Suhm, with concerns ranging from child care to after-school activities.
“It isn’t a done deal, and that’s the reason for the assessment of our community and the assessment of our impact,” said Interim Superintendent Gary Plano.
The online survey will close Nov. 30. Plano said he expects a final decision to be made at the Dec. 13 School Board meeting.
A chief concern for administrators was research on adolescent sleep needs that shows secondary students benefit from extra morning rest, Plano said. Giving teachers time to prepare for class activities was another factor, he said, with morning a better time to hold faculty meetings because part-time teachers often leave early in the day. Elementary teachers, however, argue that younger students are more alert and ready to learn in the early morning, said Mike Radow, Mercer Island Education Association president. Elementary parents worry about the availability of child care, he said.
Mercer Island’s three elementary schools begin at 9:15 a.m. With the late start schedule, class would start at 10:45 a.m. Middle school would begin at 9:55 a.m. and high school at 9:30 a.m.
Suhm said many high-school parents see the schedule switch as a positive change. But some, said Radow, are concerned that it could make participating in after-school activities more difficult.
“I think it encourages students to stay up later on Tuesday nights because they know they can sleep in the next day,” said Julia Ball, a 16-year-old Mercer Island High School junior. Issaquah instituted similar changes in 2002, with middle schools and high schools beginning two hours late each Wednesday to allow for teacher training and planning. Elementary schools have a two-hour early release that day.
Though the district recognizes the schedule can be difficult for parents, the extra time pays off in the classroom, said Sara Niegowski, an Issaquah School District spokeswoman.
“What you have to do is be really clear you’re using that time for good use; otherwise, it’s not worth the community disruption,” she said.
Transportation options for the proposed Mercer Island changes will be presented tomorrow night before the scheduled School Board meeting. The session is open to the community, but board members will not call for public participation.
It’s possible the late-start plan could be implemented at some Mercer Island schools while continuing the early-release schedule at others if feasible transportation options are proposed, Plano said.
“Potentially, the split schedule seems the obvious solution, but if we’re talking about a $1 million or $2 million impact, then I definitely think that would have an impact on people’s opinions and how we should proceed,” Suhm said.
Meghan Peters: 206-464-8305 or mpeters@seattletimes.com