WASHINGTON – More than 200 people attended a public meeting Monday night that discussed the proposed changes to Montgomery County Public Schools’ start times.
The changes, recommended by Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Joshua Starr, would let high schoolers in the county start class 50 minutes later than they do now. The aim is to allow the students to get more sleep, Staff says.
That would push high school start times from 7:25 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.
The plan would keep elementary school kids in class 30 minutes longer each day, because the current school day is one of the shortest in Maryland.
Elementary school start times would stay the same, but the last classes would end at 4 p.m.
Also, the plan calls for middle school start times to be moved 10 minutes, from 7:55 a.m. to 7:45 a.m.
Dr. Starr’s recommendations are based on a report put together by the 2013 Bell Times Work Group, which first began meeting a year ago.
Monday’s meeting was held at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, and two more public meetings are planned in January and February of next year.
Comments are also being accepted on the Montgomery County website.
The earliest any bell time changes would take effect would be the 2015-2016 school year.
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