Panel Recommending New Start Times For Barrington Schools
CHICAGO (CBS) -- An advisory panel will recommend to the Barrington District 220 school board next week that elementary students begin their days earlier and that middle and high schoolers start their days later to maximize how well students perform.
The Input 220 council is offering three possible options for new starting times, should the board elect to make a change. They take into account younger students learning better early and teenagers needing more sleep and doing better by starting school later.
District 220 director of communications Morgan Delack said elementary school students would start at 8 a.m., middle schoolers would start at 8:50 a.m., and high school students would start at 9 a.m. under two of the options; and at 9:30 a.m. under the third.
"Cost would be only $58,000 for the 930 start time. Both of the 9a start times have a cost of upwards of 820 or more thousand dollars," she said.
Delack said the advisory panel did not want students getting out of school any later than 4 p.m., because of contract concerns as well as concerns of the community for family time and extra-curricular activities.
Those higher-priced options are the result of higher transportation costs.
The Barrington 220 school board is free to decide which option is best, or whether to keep starting times as they stand.