Camden district to move high school start time to 8 a.m. for 2026–27 school year

The Camden City School District announced May 26 that it will shift high school start times from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. starting in the 2026–27 school year.

District officials said the decision follows a community survey that drew 824 responses from students, parents, staff and other stakeholders. According to the presentation, 54.1% of respondents supported the change, 36% opposed it and 9.8% were undecided. Supporters cited better alignment with after-school activities and athletics, greater scheduling consistency across schools and earlier dismissal times for students; critics raised concerns about impacts on student work schedules, transportation logistics and attendance.

Superintendent Yano told the advisory board that the district will move forward with the change and that additional communications about transportation scheduling and implementation will be shared with families, students and staff. "We will be sharing additional communication regarding transportation scheduling and implementation," district leadership said during the meeting.

Officials also said they will restore co-op opportunities for seniors who have sufficient credits, permitting early release for 12th graders to work or attend other commitments under the new schedule. The district emphasized that operational considerations remain and that planning will continue before the fall.

Why it matters: Start-time changes affect families' morning routines, transportation routes and after-school programs, and must be coordinated across buses, athletics and staff schedules. The district framed the change as an operational decision guided by community feedback and ongoing planning.

What’s next: The district will publish specifics on bus routes and any timetable adjustments. Families and staff were told the district will continue planning discussions and provide updates leading up to the 2026–27 school year.