School Start Times Survey
For all APS Parents/Guardians
The APS School Start Time Working Group seeks your feedback
Andover Public Schools continues to explore ways to improve the well-being and academic performance of our students. One such effort has led to the examination of start times for all of our schools.
Scientific research shows that there is a temporary change in circadian rhythms during adolescence, shifting the natural sleep cycle, and making it biologically difficult for middle and high school students to fall asleep before 11 PM. As a result, major medical and public health organizations - including the American Academy of Pediatrics, Centers for Disease Control, and National Institutes of Health - recommend school start times of 8:30 AM or later at middle and high schools to allow these students more sleep.
Andover is joining many school districts nationwide in considering this recommended change in start times in order to improve student health and performance. As a next step, the Start Time Working Group is seeking community feedback on the general approaches under consideration.
Importantly, no decisions have been made and the soonest a change could be implemented in Andover is for the 2020-21 school year.
To help us understand your views on this issue, a survey for all APS parents and guardians has been developed, and we hope you will take time to provide feedback. Your response will allow us to refine options including transportation logistics, field and building schedules, and other before/after school activities and elementary child care.
Please click here for the survey. The surveys will be open until June 30, 2019.
For more information on this effort, including timelines, please visit the Andover School Start Times website.
Additionally, we invite you to join the Andover School Start Time Working Group to discuss this issue at a Community Forum on Tuesday, June 11th at 7p.m. in the West Middle School auditorium.
Thank you for your feedback,
Andover School Start Times Working Group