Las Vegas Students Could Get Extra Sleep as CCSD Reviews Later School Start Times
Trustees will vote next week on whether Las Vegas schools should open 30 minutes later than they currently do. Here’s what you need to know.
On November 13, the Clark County School District (CCSD) Board of Trustees will discuss a proposal to push school start times back by 30 minutes across Las Vegas. If the change is adopted, school start and dismissal times would be as follows:
- Elementary schools: 9:30 a.m. to 3:41 p.m.
- Middle schools: 8:30 a.m. to 2:41 p.m.
- High schools: 7:30 a.m. to 1:41 p.m.
Adjusting the times, according to 8 News Now, would not cost additional money. The idea behind the proposal is to provide children with added sleep time, which is better for their overall health and school performance. According to Dr. Jerry Hu, who owns Nevada Dental Sleep and whose kids attend school in the Clark County School District, children need about 9-10 hours of sleep per night. News 3 notes that better sleep schedules could also lead to improved attendance across the school district.
The Board of Trustees will also be presented alternative start times in the proposal—one of which would move the start times for elementary schools back by just 15 minutes instead, and that would invert the middle and high school start times within 30-minute changes. A survey was conducted over the last few months to determine what students, parents, and teachers thought of the proposal before it was ultimately scheduled to be presented to the trustees.
Of the 48,038 people who took the survey, an overwhelming number were in support of the changes.
The proposal has support from students, teachers, and parents
8 News Now reported that approximately 60% of parents, 78% of students, and 53% of Clark County School District staff voted in favor of pushing school start times back by 30 minutes across Las Vegas. Staffers were apparently less convinced than the other groups due to concerns over potential scheduling conflicts with parents and guardians, as well as over how the shift could impact after-school activities.
In September, some parents did share with News 3 that they had similar reservations about the proposed changes, particularly for those who have to be at work by 7 a.m. One parent said it would create a drop-off time conflict with her existing work schedule. Another parent shared that they feel as though after-school activities already run too late as is and shifting the dismissal time back would widen that gap.
As of writing, it’s unclear as to whether the CCSD trustees will vote in favor of the proposal on November 13.
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