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Okaloosa board schedules required hearing on school start times; staff says no recommendation to move to later times
Summary
At a Jan. 12 workshop, district staff said they will hold a required public hearing on school start times as part of statutory compliance but are not recommending districtwide changes to later start times; a public-health advocate urged later starts.
Okaloosa County Schools scheduled a public hearing on school start times at 5:15 p.m. on Jan. 12 as part of a statutory compliance process, and district staff told the board they are not presenting a recommendation to move districtwide start times later.
Dr. Lynn Keith, a frequent public commenter who identified herself as working to improve child outcomes, urged the board to pursue later start times for student health and noted she is working with the Florida High School Athletic Association on an EKG screening mandate for rising ninth graders. “Florida law is still in place regarding working towards later school start times,” she said, but she also acknowledged local logistical challenges and said she would review the district presentation and work with the district on next steps.
Superintendent's office and Grant Meyer, assistant superintendent, clarified the legal and procedural context: the district must complete a compliance report by July 1 under Florida statutory requirements (as presented to the board), and there is currently no formal recommendation to change start times to 8:00 a.m. or 8:30 a.m. Meyer reminded the board that a previous workshop gave an overview of the statutory sections and that rezoning or closures in the district (North/South End adjustments) could lead to school-specific schedule shifts separate from the statutory compliance process.
The workshop did not include a board vote; the scheduled public hearing is part of the compliance and public-input process. The district said it will consider input from the hearing and may return with a recommendation if warranted.
