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Parent urges board to reopen high‑school start‑time vote after petition
Summary
A parent told the board she gathered an online petition urging the district to reopen a recent vote that set the high‑school start time at 7:20 a.m.; the chair responded that public comment windows and prior hearings were offered and that the majority vote stands.
A parent asked the Horseheads Central School District board to reconsider a recent decision setting the high‑school start time at 7:20 a.m., saying she collected signatures and cited research on adolescent sleep.
Christina Regula identified herself as a parent of a fifth grader and a pre‑K applicant and said she started an online petition that, in her account to the board, gathered more than 170 signatures. She urged trustees to “reopen this vote” and select the alternative 8:40 a.m. start time to better match adolescent circadian rhythms and allow students more sleep.
Chair (Speaker 1) replied that the board had publicly discussed start‑time options at prior meetings, that those arguments had been heard and that the board acted by majority rule. He encouraged public participation in meetings and noted recordings are available as the verbatim record.
Board members and staff reminded the public that the board provided prior opportunities for comment and a previous meeting devoted time to start‑time discussion. No trustee motion to reopen or rescind the start‑time decision was recorded during the meeting.
The petition and related materials were accepted by staff as part of the public‑comment record; the board said any reconsideration would require an agenda item and formal motion at a future meeting.
