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Elmbrook board debates multiple school start-time scenarios; action to return in April
Summary
Trustees discussed several start-time scenarios on March 20, weighing research on adolescent sleep and mental health against a roughly $1 million recurring operating cost and bus-driver shortages; members were split, and the item will return as an action item in April.
The Elmbrook School District board spent substantial time on March 20 reviewing proposed school start-time scenarios intended to shift middle- and high-school schedules to align more closely with adolescent sleep research.
Staff presenters Chris and Michelle outlined several models — labelled in materials as scenarios 2, 2a, 2-tier and 5b — and summarized transportation constraints, ridership patterns (including about 1,000 private/parochial students who may use district routes), and the trade-offs of move amounts. The presentation noted potential benefits of later starts for academics and mental health cited in the research, while also flagging the cost and driver availability implications of changing tiers.
Supporters of a larger change, including trustee Mary Wacker and members of the start-time task force, emphasized student well-being and urged the district to find recurring funds for greater schedule shifts. "We're doing the right thing for their schedules [that] will affect 7,800, all of our students," Mary Wacker said, urging the board to view Elmbrook as regionally well positioned to lead on this issue. (Mary Wacker.)
Opponents and cautious trustees cited cost and operational constraints. Staff presented a rough recurring cost estimate for a larger 2-tier/5b option of about $1,000,000 per year and the need for approximately 20 additional bus drivers; several trustees said the district lacks ongoing operating funds and likewise flagged safety concerns if walk zones were expanded. "I just can't support looking at another million dollars in the operating budget and another 20 bus drivers when we have a hard time finding the ones that we have right now," one trustee said during discussion.
Public commenters raised safety and fairness concerns. Resident Elizabeth Tice urged the board to prioritize safety when considering later elementary end times and walk zones; Angie Pingel repeated concerns that younger students could be left walking in the dark in winter months.
Next steps: Trustees expressed differing preferences: some favored scenario 2 or 2a as a modest step, while others voiced support for 5b as the option that best follows the task force recommendation despite its cost. The board agreed to return the start-time item as an action item at the April meeting so members can narrow options or provide more detail.
