School Start Time (SST)

Beginning in the fall of 2020, the school start and end times will be changing at the elementary, middle and high school levels. The Dover School Committee, Sherborn School Committee and Dover-Sherborn School Committee unanimously voted last April to approve a modified "flip" of school start times.

Click here to view the most recent FAQs
 

Overview of General Start Times, end times, and bus schedules

Foundation for Decision 

• Began initial investigations during the 2015-2016 school year
• Convened a Task Force in the fall of 2018 under the direction of Dr. Andrew Keough
• Collected data from surveys of DS elementary, middle, and high school families, staff and students (over 1,800 participants)
• Conducted over two dozen stakeholder meetings and open coffees including six at elementary schools
• Presented on Community Cable
• Engaged in 1:1 discussions with two renowned sleep experts
• Presented at three Joint School Committee Meetings

Spring 2020 Goals

• Maximize efficiency of bus routes 
• Adjust the high school and middle school schedule, creating new opportunities for collaborative learning and extra help
• Expand after school care options at Pine Hill and Chickering
• Offer a sleep hygiene event for parents in the spring of 2020

Click here to view the entire process with background info

Community Voices

"I think [the start time change] is good because kids, before puberty, are always up earlier where as kids in middle and high school need to sleep more [in the morning] and may stay up later studying, so the extra time is a good thing in my opinion."  - 6th Grader, Dover.

"I am looking forward to [the start time change] because not everyone can get up at 6 am easily and this adds to the fact that people need a while to get ready.  I need 45 minutes to get ready and I only have 20 to 30 right now.  It's also tough on parents and disrupts the entire household because everyone is tired.  Because of this, people sleep more on weekends instead of getting what they need to do done."  - 8th Grader, Sherborn.

"I feel like people are just going to get up at the same time and just do homework instead of getting the sleep they need.  And there is not as much time to do homework after school."  - 8th Grader, Sherborn

Follow @d_szzzs

Tweets by d_szzzs