Superintendent outlines 2026–27 school-start proposal after wide stakeholder survey

Superintendent Doctor Solon presented a draft plan on Aug. 14 for adjusted school start times for the 2026–27 year, saying staff, parents and students provided more than 2,200 survey responses and multiple stakeholder meetings shaped the recommendation. Solon said the primary drivers are student and bus re-distribution caused by new elementary-school placements, evolving traffic patterns in town and an effort to reflect sleep-research interest expressed by some families. “We were not expecting unanimous endorsement of anything,” he said, describing trade-offs between later start times and bus-routing costs. The presentation showed initial public feedback favored one option but that option was also the most disliked by a substantial minority, so staff revised schedules. Solon said revised proposal A was “82.56 percent” favorable among parents in the updated survey and about 77.8 percent favorable among staff. Cost was a key factor in the analysis. Solon said the recommended adjustment increases annual transportation costs by about $367,000, an increase he described in context as one of the lower-cost options among several considered. A plan that moved to a different run structure would have raised costs far higher: staff said a 2-tier schedule or other large changes could add roughly $700,000–$800,000 to transportation costs. Solon said the district will continue traffic coordination with town and state officials and that finalized times are being shared with faculty so staff can plan transfers and assignment requests ahead of the change; he said the district intends to adopt a schedule by early September to give staff time to respond. Board members asked for additional clarifications about route capacity, the available-seat petition process for families inside walking zones and accommodations for families who live close to schools but want a bus stop; Solon said families more than one mile from their assigned school will continue to receive busing, and that the district will review accommodation petitions after the school year begins if needed.