High School Start Time

Yes. Adjustments would have to be made to practice schedules and it is likely Syosset teams would arrive slightly late to some games but all athletic programs would continue.

No. Extra-curricular activities would continue but would extend later into the day.

The District currently rents buses from an outside company as opposed to owning its own buses. There are several advantages to this approach, including not having to maintain and house a large fleet of buses and employ an ample staff of drivers. If the District were to purchase a fleet of buses large enough for the district, there would be a significant impact on the budget. Absorbing such an expense while remaining under the "tax cap" would likely mean no increase in money spent on programming.   

Neighboring districts that have implemented later high school start times include Jericho and Roslyn. Both districts are significantly smaller in size than Syosset, with approx. 3,000 students each as compared to 6,500 in Syosset.

• In Jericho, the middle and high schools share a campus, alleviating some busing logistical issues. The high school also holds extra-curricular activities for two periods before school starts, so although school start time is later, many students are still arriving at school by 7:30 a.m.
• Roslyn owns their own buses and therefore has more flexibility.

The District established an internal School Start Time Committee and hired a consultant to evaluate logistical options related to a change in start time with a focus on busing. The consultant presented options that achieve a later high school start time, but also present some significant compromises that may be unappealing to the school community.

Board of Education presentations on this topic can be accessed via the links below:

August 2017 Start Time Presentation

April 2018 Start Time Planning Process Overview (Please note the deadlines have been extended since this presentation was given to allow for additional research and community engagement.)

October 2018 Start Time Update (Please note that start time options included in this presentation were provided by a consultant and present some significant compromises, therefore the District asked the consultant to present alternate options.)

February 2020 Community Engagement

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), not getting enough sleep is common among high school students and is associated with several health risks including being overweight, drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, and using drugs, as well as poor academic performance.
Full article: https://www.cdc.gov/features/school-start-times/index.html

According to the National Sleep Foundation, widespread adolescent sleep deprivation is driven by a conflict between teenagers’ internal biological clocks and the schedules and demands of society. The optimal levels of sleep for adolescents is 8.5 – 9.25 hours.
Full article: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/backgrounder-later-school-start-times

According to the Journal of Adolescent Health, an increased prevalence of anxiety and mood disorders have been linked to poor quality and insufficient sleep in adolescents, as well as reduced concentration, performance, attention, productivity, creativity, communication and socialization. Aligning education times with students’ circadian rhythms may improve learning and reduce health risks.
Full article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1054139X02005062#

According to the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, healthier sleep patterns correlated with strong social ties such as when students feel an attachment to the schools they attend and/or are surrounded by academically oriented and pro-social friends. Strong feelings of love and acceptance in one’s social circles will create a sense of safety that is conducive to healthy sleep.
Full article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24311758

In summary:

• All studies conclude that more sleep is better.
• Studies differ in recommendations: medical studies advocate for later start; social science research advocate for intentional social connections.