VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — District administrators have thrown their support behind a plan that would move back high school start times by 2 hours.
Tuesday afternoon, Daniel Keever, Virginia Beach City Public Schools’ senior director for high schools, recommended the School Board look to move high school start times to 9:20 a.m. next school year. Keever explained that out of the several options weighed, the following schedule would match medical research for students’ sleep patterns:
- Elementary A schools: 7:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Elementary B schools: 8:00 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Middle schools: 8:40 a.m. – 3:10 p.m.
- High schools: 9:20 a.m. – 4:10 p.m.
Virginia Beach high school students currently start at 7:20 a.m., with middle and elementary schools following.
Keever explained the plan would increase operating cost. It would require the need for approximately 80 additional school bus driver hours per day and $2.5 million in one-time costs to finish high school field lighting.
The plan would still need final board approval before going in to effect.
Back in November, the school board voted to push back school start times to improve academic performance for adolescents.