At the Ridgefield Board of Education (BOE) meeting on December 10, the Board voted to rescind the motion from October 23, 2017 regarding school start times. Both motions are below.
This was not an easy decision for the Board. The Board did not discredit the research regarding adolescent sleep. However, comments made by most Board members in public meetings have said that the decision to change start times must also take into account the local Ridgefield context – where we are now as a school district, and as a community. Most Board members have also said in meetings that a change initiative like this needs careful planning so that when it is done, it is done well and set up for success.
Now is not the time for successful implementation in Ridgefield. If a future Superintendent at a future time recommends to a future BOE that the district change start times, and brings forth a scenario with an implementation plan that is viable and fiscally responsible, then a future BOE can take up this issue again.
I consulted with our attorney regarding the proper procedural steps if the Board did not move forward with the October 23, 2017 motion exactly as it had been approved. While I did not know how the conversation would go at the Board table, my job as Chair is to anticipate possibilities and prepare for them.
I am so proud of our BOE. Exploring the viability of changing start times has been a challenging road for us as a unit, and individually. In addition to meeting time, Board members put in countless hours of research, talking to constituents, reading hundreds of emails, reviewing survey and petition comments, asking tough questions, talking to other districts, etc…. But the Board as a whole has stayed focused on the best educational interests of our students. Start times was just one of many areas of focus for us. Since the end of last school year, we have appointed key administrative personnel, negotiated a successor agreement to the NEA-R (teachers’ bargaining unit) contract, approved multiple policies including a new high school graduation policy, approved 5 new course proposals for RHS, and participated in the search process for a permanent Superintendent.
Motions:
Motion on October 23, 2017: Approve the Superintendent's recommendation to change school start times to improve the district's alignment to the research on student sleep and health effective for the 2019-20 school year.
Motion on December 10, 2018: Rescind the motion that was adopted on October 23, 2017 regarding the implementation of a change in school start times for 2019-20.