Stefanie Werner [“Three Village BOE’s costly sleep experiment,” TBR News Media, Nov. 14] is certainly entitled to her opinion that the benefits of moving to later high school start times are not worth the financial cost (less than 1% of the budget).
However, she is not entitled to dismiss the well-established evidence that even a modest delay in school start times leads to significant benefits for adolescent students. Research from dozens of studies has conclusively shown that later start times result in more sleep, improved attendance, higher grades and fewer car crashes. These findings are not a “fantasy belief.” They are supported by extensive scientific evidence. That is why the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends secondary schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. — a standard the new plan still falls short of by 50 minutes. It is also why states such as California and Florida have passed laws mandating later school start times for secondary students.
The Three Village BOE is not conducting an “experiment.” The experiments have already been done, and the results are clear. The only question is whether we are willing to act on this well-documented evidence.
John Hover
East Setauket
Published November 21, 2024 in the Village Times Herald:
https://tbrnewsmedia.com/letters-to-the-editor-november-21-2024/
in response to letter ("Three Village BOE’s costly sleep experiment") on November 14, 2024
https://tbrnewsmedia.com/letters-to-the-editor-nov-14-2024/
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