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Students at Portland public schools can expect later start times next year

On Tuesday, May 18, board members for Portland Public Schools voted seven to two to adopt later start times for the 2021-2022 school year.

PORTLAND, Maine — Next year, students attending public schools in Portland will be able to push their alarm clocks back a bit after a school board vote to approve later school start times.

On Tuesday, May 1, the school board voted seven to two to approve proposed later start times for the 2021-2022 school year. Some members say schedule changes during the pandemic have highlighted benefits that a delayed start can have.

Per online documents, the proposed schedule for the 2021-2022 school year includes three tiers, which are as follows:

  • Tier One: East End, Longfellow, Ocean Avenue, and Talbot elementary schools with a start time of 7:40 a.m. and end time of 2:10 p.m.
  • Tier Two: middle and high schools with a start time of 8:20 a.m. and end time of 2:50 p.m.
  • Tier Three: Lyseth, Presumpscot, Reiche, and Rowe elementary schools with a start time of 9 a.m. and end time of 3:30 p.m.

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This schedule will not apply to the Portland Arts and Technology High School, which will keep a section schedule from 8 to 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Changes to elementary school schedules will not affect Pre-K. Before the pandemic, middle schools ran from 7:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. and high schools ran from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

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These changes reflect suggestions from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that middle and high schools should not start the day until 8:30 a.m. or later. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, teenagers between 13 and 18 years old should get eight to 10 hours of sleep each day to stay healthy. Those who don't get enough sleep are more likely to be overweight; not exercise; suffer from symptoms of depression; use tobacco, alcohol, or drugs; and perform poorly in school. 

The goal of the Portland Public Schools plan is to build upon this late start for middle and high schools in the future. During the meeting on Tuesday, board members voted unanimously to pass a resolution, addressing school start time changes in years to come. That includes potentially further moving start times for middle and high school students as late as practicable and considering options that would start elementary school no earlier than 8 a.m.

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To watch the entire school board meeting, click here

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