Williamsville board declines to adopt proposed school start times after hours of public comment

The Williamsville Central School District Board of Education did not approve a proposed change to school start times on Feb. 11, 2025, after more than an hour of public comment and extended discussion by board members. A formal motion to accept the proposal as presented was not made and the measure died without a vote.

The proposal, which district materials and committee presentations framed as intended primarily to benefit high-school students, drew dozens of speakers during the meeting’s public expression portion. Parents, physicians, teachers and students urged the board to reconsider or delay the plan, raising concerns about younger students’ sleep, athletics schedules, special-education supervision and family child-care needs.

The public comments gave the board multiple perspectives on effects across age groups and activities. “This proposal has been framed as a necessary adjustment to support high school students, but in doing so, it unfairly places the burden on elementary school students and their families,” said Jillian Lenhard, a parent and pediatric speech-language pathologist. Several physicians said evidence on elementary-age benefits is limited; Dr. Mojda Kappas, a community general surgeon and mother, told the board that “even the experts agree that there’s some room for improvement with the times that have been proposed,” but urged more study before making changes.

Students and student-athletes warned of collisions with jobs, after-school practices and competitions. “This time change will not be adding an hour to the day for students,” said Eli Feldstein, a junior at Williamsville East, after collecting petitions opposing the change. A high-school parent and special-education advocate, Richard Thompson, told the board the district should plan on-site before-care for students who require adult supervision rather than alter schedules that would force parents to leave jobs.

Board members said they had read hundreds of emails and received more than 1,600 community responses. Several trustees said they felt the district had not yet produced detailed plans on transportation routing, athletic schedules or before-care that would show how a later high-school start could be implemented without undue harm to other student groups. “Some of these other districts actually dedicated professionals to fleshing out an athletic schedule in full detail, fleshing out a transportation schedule in full detail,” said Dr. Spicer, a trustee, summarizing information she wanted before a final decision.

Superintendent Dr. Brown Hall said she remains supportive of later high-school start times on the basis of adolescent sleep research but acknowledged the committee’s draft plan lacked sufficient logistical detail for some board members. “Personally, what I would propose … is to send this back to committee,” she said, and said any implementation would not likely be ready for the 2025–26 school year and could be delayed to 2026–27 if the board pursues further work.

After board discussion, the president asked for a motion to accept the proposal as presented. There was no motion or second; the president declared the motion failed. The board made no formal decision to adopt the plan and did not set an immediate new timetable for action.

The superintendent and several trustees said staff will continue work on related transportation studies to improve route efficiency. The board gave no final directive to implement the start-time changes and left open the possibility of additional committee study if the board chooses to revisit the topic.

What remains clear from the meeting: the district faces sharply divided community views, detailed logistical questions about busing and extracurriculars, and particular concerns from parents of elementary and special-education students who said earlier start times would compound family and supervision burdens.