Fairfax County parents can weigh in on school start-time plan

FALLS CHURCH, Va. — The Fairfax County Public Schools board is moving forward with its plan to start high school classes after 8 a.m., and starting next week parents can let the board know what they think at a series of public meetings.

Pushing back start times is a more complicated process than it may seem. The start times for middle and elementary schools also will have to be changed, so that buses can still transport students.

Last month, FCPS announced four options for how to make the change work.

On May 19, FCPS will hold the first of eight public meetings, one for each cluster of the school district. (If you are the parent of a high school student in Fairfax County, find your cluster here).

FCPS decided to make the change in 2012, saying a later starting time will allow high school students to get the amount of sleep recommended for teenagers by the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and the National Sleep Foundation.

The committee will make its final recommendations in July.

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