Moving the elementary start times too early hurts the young children of LO:

1. Safety - Young children will be waiting at the bus stops in the dark during several months of the year. This could also be a liability for the district. 

2. Length of day - An early start time will put children in school and aftercare for longer hours. They will go to school earlier yet still be picked up in aftercare at the same time. This will make for a very long day.

3. Athletics/After school - Young children are coached by parents, who are not able to leave work and coach at 3pm. Many activities are not scheduled until 6 or 7pm. 

4. Sleep - Young children need just as much if not more hours of sleep. While it is nice to think children will go to bed earlier, this will cut in to family time or simply not be possible with evening sports. 

5. Care - Young children require more help to get ready for school and cannot come home to an empty house. They are less self sufficient than older children which requires more time. The earlier start and dismissal times will also require more money spent on childcare.  

6. Absence/Money - There will likely be an increase in tardiness, absences and illnesses due to an earlier start time. Parents will be reluctant to send kids to school with inadequate sleep. 

For these and many other reasons, we ask that the Lake Oswego School District not allow a start time earlier than 8:30am for elementary school children.