Starting this August, BVSD proposes a school day schedule change to 7:45am-2:45pm (Weds at 8:45am) for all but a number of exempted elementary schools. This change will negatively impact our children and families. We request that Bear Creek Elementary School is exempted and our schedule is adapted to 8:30am-3:30pm (including Weds), based on the following reasoning.

Science
While we welcome the opportunity of additional instructional time, a growing body of scientific studies and peer-reviewed publications indicates that earlier elementary school start times are associated with negative sleep changes [1,2] and behavioral issues [3] for young children, resulting in poor academic performance [4] and lower average standardized test scores [5]. Flipping bus schedules “may simply be shifting the problem from adolescents to younger children, instead of eliminating it altogether” [6]. 

Health and Safety
Earlier start times undermine BVSD’s active transportation goals. For most of the school year, sunrise would be only minutes before the 7:45am bell time. This may mean fewer children will walk or bike to school at the coldest time of day, resulting in negative effects on traffic, parking, emissions, and student exercise. Furthermore, street crossing during dark/dawn hours would represent an increased safety risk. 

Community
Parents who shift to driving their children will likely interact less with other parents at school. The new schedule will also be disruptive for children who participate in community-building activities (e.g. intramurals, chorus, school play) and after-school activities coached by working parents. Given the recommended 9-11 hours of sleep for school-aged children, it will be harder for families to eat breakfast and dinner together; the research described in the aforementioned links indicates that eating together helps with everything from vocabulary, behavior, and health.

Only 1.3% of students bus
BVSD has indicated that transportation is an important equity issue and that the proposed early elementary start time will help with bus logistics. However, Bear Creek is a local neighborhood school with no regular bus service. Only 6 of 448 students use the school bus in 2021; the district is asking our community to make significant sacrifices when the benefit to BVSD is unclear.

Overwhelmed already
Many families have already been facing challenging circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now is not a good time for more disruptive changes, particularly when they are at odds with published science.

References:
[1] Appleman ER, Stavitsky Gilbert K, Au R. 2015. School start time changes and sleep patterns in  elementary school students. Sleep Health. 1(2):109-114.

[2] Dexter D, Bijwadia J, Schilling D, Applebaugh G. 2003. Sleep, sleepiness and school start  times: A preliminary study. Wisconsin Medical Journal. 102(1):44–46. 

[3] Keller PS, Smith OA, Gilbert LR, Bi S, Haak EA, Buckhalt JA. 2015. Earlier school start times  as a risk factor for poor school performance: An examination of public elementary schools in the  commonwealth of Kentucky. J Educ Psychol 107(1):236-45.

[4] Dworak M, Schierl T, Bruns T, Struder H.K. 2007. Impact of singular excessive computer game  and television exposure on sleep patterns and memory performance of school-aged children.  Pediatrics. 120:978–985. 

[5] Epstein R, Chillag N, Lavie P. 1998. Starting times of school: Effects on daytime functioning of  fifth-grade children in Israel. Sleep: Journal of Sleep Research & Sleep Medicine. 21:250–256.

[6] Kirby M, Maggi S, D’Angiulli A. 2011. School start times and the sleep–wake cycle of  adolescents: A review and critical evaluation of available evidence. Educational Researcher. 40: 56–61.