Williamsville committee proposes later high school start, earlier elementary schedule to boost teen sleep

A committee appointed by the Williamsville Central School District recommended on Jan. 14 that the district shift its bell schedules for the 2025–26 school year so high schools start at 8:50 a.m., middle schools at 8:20 a.m. and most elementary schools move earlier in the morning.

The committee presented research showing health and safety benefits of later start times for adolescents and said the recommendation is intended to align school hours more closely with adolescent sleep patterns. Principal Keith Bortman, chair of the committee and principal of South High School, said the group based its work on scientific studies and community focus groups assembled over 18 months.

The proposal matters because a wide range of national medical organizations — including the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine — recommend later starts for middle and high school students to reduce chronic sleep loss and related harms, presenters said. The committee urged the district to adopt the schedule only after additional planning to address logistics raised during the meeting.

"Our job here is to put our personal feelings aside," Principal Keith Bortman said, describing the committee’s aim to follow the research and put students first. The committee’s specific schedule would keep some elementary schools on a slightly longer day, set middle schools at 8:20 a.m. to 3 p.m., and high schools at 8:50 a.m. to 3:40 p.m., with modest changes to period lengths to preserve instructional minutes.

District medical director Christine Harding summarized the research the committee reviewed and said major medical groups endorse start times of about 8:30 a.m. or later for secondary students. "The evidence strongly implies early school start times before 8:30 a.m. as a key modifiable contributor to insufficient sleep in our adolescent population," Harding said, quoting positions from the American Academy of Pediatrics and related groups.

Committee members said studies show modest gains in nightly sleep when start times move later and linked increased sleep to better attendance, fewer tardies and improvements in attention and some academic measures. Principal Dan Wall, who presented research on sleep and cognitive benefits, told the board that multiple studies show changes in sleep occur soon after a schedule shift and that economically disadvantaged students often see proportionally larger academic gains from later starts.

Board members and staff pressed presenters on practical consequences. Questions included how the shift would affect families that rely on older siblings to supervise younger children, families who pay for before- or after-school care, students with after-school jobs, and athletic schedules. Director of Athletics and Physical Education Chris Muchica told the board that athletics and extracurriculars would continue but might require “creative” scheduling and that some outdoor evening activities could be constrained by daylight.

Transportation was a recurring concern. Presenters said the district contracts all bus service with Student Transportation of America (STA) and that the proposed schedule could free up some later bus runs while creating others. The committee proposed an efficiency survey of families to identify who actually needs bus service; district staff said no elementary student would be assigned a bus pickup before 7:00 a.m. under the proposal.

Committee members said they have discussed accommodation options with after-school providers and that many agencies indicated they could adapt to a shift toward more afternoon care. The committee also noted possible operational fixes such as middle-school shuttles between buildings if bus runs can be reallocated.

Board members asked for follow-up information. Several asked for details about how many students hold after-school jobs, how the schedule would affect students who use BOCES programs that begin at 8:00 a.m., and whether athletic field availability would become a limiting factor. Presenters said they plan visits to nearby districts that have made similar changes and additional outreach to students, parents and community partners before any formal vote.

No final district action was taken at the meeting; the start-time plan was presented for board consideration and further logistical work. Board members asked staff to continue planning and community engagement before the board schedules a decision.

The committee recommended the district consider the research-backed shift while continuing targeted outreach to families and after-school providers and conducting transportation routing work to limit very early elementary pickups.

Board members both praised the committee’s research and said they still had significant concerns to resolve on childcare, safety at early pickups on dark winter mornings, and athletic scheduling before any formal adoption.

The presentation was followed by extensive board discussion but no vote; the board signaled it would review additional analyses and community feedback in future meetings.