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Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 board approves three-tier 2026–27 start times after public comment; vote 5-2
Summary
After extensive public comment and board debate on Dec. 7, the Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 Board of Education voted 5-2 to adopt a three-tier start-time schedule for 2026–27 (elementary first, high school second, middle school last), with implementation subject to negotiations.
The Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 Board of Education voted 5-2 on Dec. 7 to adopt a three-tier school-start schedule for the 2026–27 school year after nearly three hours of public comment and board discussion.
Board member Kurt moved to give final approval to the recommended schedule, which the motion described as subject to negotiations: full-day elementary 7:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.; high school 8:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.; middle school 8:40 a.m.–3:50 p.m. The motion passed 5-2.
Public speakers urged competing priorities. Clancy Livingston, a Manhattan High School science teacher and district teacher-of-the-year nominee, urged the board to “return to the original start time proposal to put the elementary first, then the high school, then the middle school,” citing peer-reviewed studies on adolescent circadian rhythms and the effects of insufficient sleep on academic performance and mental health. Michelle Toes, introducing herself as holding a Ph.D. in human development and family science, said teens need “at least 8 to 10 hours per night” and noted that major medical organizations recommend high schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. Other commenters, including parents and community members, stressed transportation constraints, bus-driver shortages and the burden on before- and after-school care programs.
Board members framed their votes around research, logistics and community impact. Several members said they favored the district administration’s original recommendation because it balanced sleep-research concerns with the practical limits of transportation and extracurricular activity schedules. The motion read into the record included a clause making the schedule contingent on successful negotiations with affected staff and partners.
The board also directed district staff to carry forward implementation planning over the coming months; board members said they expect follow-up reports and a post-implementation review to assess effects on student attendance, transportation operations and extracurricular participation.
The decision is the latest step in a multiyear discussion in USD 383 about aligning start times with research on adolescent sleep while managing operational constraints. The board’s vote will be reflected in the district’s next communications to families, and the superintendent said the administration will work through contractual and operational steps before changes take effect in 2026–27.
