During the 2019-20 school year, Wilmington Public Schools launched an effort to explore the topic of school start times in the district as we consider possible changes. This area of focus became a priority within our most recent strategic plan and was linked to the following:
- The current start times at our middle and high school are early and do not align with what research identifies as appropriate for young adolescents
- There is a wide range of start and end times across the district which are problematic for aligning professional development and job-alike/grade-alike meetings, etc.
- As a district, we are falling out of step with the larger Middlesex League, where a number of districts have more recently made changes to their start times
The work of the Start Time Committee was well underway when the pandemic brought about the closure of school in the spring of 2020. After careful consideration, we decided to pause the committee's work through all of the 2020-21 school year given the continuing impact of the pandemic on our entire community. However, with a commitment to advancing this work on behalf of our community, we have returned our focus during the 2022-23 school year as we consider making changes for our district for the 2023-24 school year.
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School Start Time Background & FAQ's January 2023.pdf
2023.01.18 School School Start Time Virtual Community Forum Flyer.pdf with links to Zoom and Feedback google form.
Parent and Guardian Advocates for Wilmington (PAWS) Virtual Forum about the Start Time Project
