Three Pa. superintendents back later school start times

GREENCASTLE, Pa. — Three school district superintendents painted a positive picture of the benefits of later start times for secondary students during an information session hosted by the Greencastle-Antrim School District, which is studying the issue.

Such changes are not without challenges, according to the education heads — one from the Philadelphia area, one from the Pittsburgh area and one from right next door to Greencastle-Antrim. While allowing the older students to get more sleep supports the science of adolescent sleep patterns, they said there are hurdles to overcome including transportation, athletic scheduling and day care.

“We have to control what we can control and we have to do what we know is best for kids,” Rodney Benedick, Tuscarora School District superintendent, told a group of about 100 people who attended the session Tuesday night. “Research overwhelmingly tells us it’s better for kids.”

Tuscarora has a long history of having elementary students report for classes earlier than secondary students. The Unionville-Chadds Ford School District in Chester County is in the second year of moving start times later for both groups of students and the Seneca Valley School District, north of Pittsburgh, moved start times later at the beginning of the current school year for both elementary and secondary students.

All three superintendents appeared through video conferencing in the Greencastle-Antrim High School auditorium and answered preset questions about their experiences.

Seneca Valley spent a year-and-a-half studying and working through the logistics, according to Superintendent Tracy Vitale.

“We tried to stay in the science instead of the emotion,” she told the group. “We recognized emotion. We affirmed emotion but, we tried to separate the issues.

“Our story at Seneca Valley is one of research, having quite a bit of discourse to see what would work, understanding the research and then what would work operationally in our school district.”

Vitale said the change cost the district $200,000.

The Unionville-Chadds Ford time change was student-driven and took effect two years ago. Superintendent John Sanville said data show his students are getting more sleep. He noted that the district had three state championships among its athletic teams in the previous 94 years of its existence and added three more in just the first year of the later start time.

“It’s clear that it’s made a significant difference for our kids,” Sanville said. “I really do link it.

“I just cannot sing the praises of the effects from the rafters enough. Our data really shows that it makes a difference for kids.”

Vitale said there were other benefits.

“Having done it, it’s icing on the cake,” she said. “But whether we were able to do the late start or not, the important thing was that we had discourse about adolescent wellness — health and sleep especially — how children need to come to our buildings with a healthy mindset.”

The panelists answered several audience questions written on cards and asked by moderator Mark Keck, CEO of Folium Inc. About 25 more questions were offered and will be answered and placed on the school district website at www.gcasd.org.

Last year, Greencastle-Antrim’s school board asked Superintendent Kendra Trail to make a recommendation on start times. Trail formed a committee in September to study the issue, and surveys were conducted of students, parents and community members.

The committee and Trail are expected to make recommendations this spring. However, Trail recently said making any change for the next school year would not be fair or provide enough time for parents to prepare.