The discussion surrounding school start time has been long-standing within the Three Village Central School District. Ward Melville High School’s start time of 7:05 AM is nearly an hour earlier than that of the average for other high schools in New York, and an hour and a half more than what the CDC sets as a healthy boundary for teenagers. Issues with busing, after school activities, the COVID-19 pandemic and several other factors have prevented the district from changing its start times.
Parents, students and staff have long aired their grievances pertaining to the extreme start times. “For students, 7:05 is way too early, and I realized over the last 23 years I’ve been here that it’s way too early,” said Mr. Erick Sussin, a science teacher and tennis coach at Ward Melville. “It should have an eight in front of the start time, not a seven,” he continues, but acknowledges the logistical difficulties a drastic change like this would bring. Other staff members have also expressed varying positive degrees of satisfaction with the start time change for reasons including the well-being of students, having the same benefit of being able to sleep for longer and greater convenience in their own morning schedules.
On the other hand, feelings amongst students concerning the later start time are mixed. While it is generally agreed upon that having our school day begin at a more reasonable time is a pro, apprehensions arise when wondering what the day will look like when it comes to an end. The widespread uncertainty amongst students regarding the situation with school clubs, sports, and other extracurriculars have left opinions inconclusive. Many are unaware of whether or not the new start time will cause after school clubs and sports to clash with each other, or simply push them both back by 35 minutes. Students who do both an after school club and sport have stated that they would be frustrated if the two were to conflict.
According to PTA member Hua Wang, it currently stands that sports start times will not be changing, with the implication being that yes, there would be an overlap between clubs and sports. However, the likelihood of strong commotion from students and parents could change the final decision of the Board. There could even be potential rebuttal from teachers. When asked what he thought the impact of the pushback on sports would be, Sussin said, “I don’t like it. I’m a teacher first and a coach second. If you take away the academics, it’s not a good thing. You guys are student athletes, so you gotta take care of your academics first. If they can get a little buffer, then it’s great.”
Whether this announcement has been made to staff and families within the school district is unclear, as the majority of those I interviewed were unsure of what the Board’s plan for after-school activities were.
When asked how she thinks the new start time would impact after school activities, Yumi Jin, a senior at Ward Melville, said, “It might be difficult for people to manage their time because it’s a big adjustment.” Others view the change as an opportunity to learn how to make mature decisions. “I think as young adults it is important to get priorities,” says Chiara Lubarsky, a sophomore. “This will be somewhat of a challenge, but at the end, it will be more helpful for students to be able to get more sleep and be able to manage their time more.”
At the end of the day, school start times remain a controversial and divisive topic within the Three Village community, and much remains to be seen and finalized before the 2025 school year.
