MARQUETTE, Mich. — Marquette Area Public Schools will study the idea of a later start time for high school students, after several school board trustees said they might support such a plan depending on the economic effect on the district, according to The (Marquette) Mining Journal.
School board trustee Mark Smith said at a recent meeting that the district should consider the benefits and disadvantages of an 8:30 a.m. high school start time, rather than the current 7:30 a.m., The Journal reported.
Smith said he has read studies indicating that later high school start times correlate to better grades, reduced tardiness, a more interested student body and fewer morning car accidents, according to The Journal.
His support hinges on whether changes could be made without added costs, Smith said, The Journal reported. According to the National Sleep Foundation, schools or districts in 19 states have shifted high school start times and more than 100 districts are considering it, according to The Journal.
SOURCE:
The (Marquette) Mining Journal, “Later
school start mulled by MAPS,” March 31, 2011
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Digest, “Back to
semesters in Grand Rapids,” April 10, 2010
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