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District survey shows split on swapping elementary and secondary start times; secondary students favor later starts
Summary
A districtwide survey of 4,917 responses found 51% favored current start times while 40% preferred flipping elementary earlier and secondary later. Elementary parents mostly supported current times, secondary students preferred later starts, and the board agreed no schedule change is required for next school year while more study continues.
The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District's communications office reported summary results of a March'April survey on school start times to the school board on June 2. The online survey drew 4,917 responses, the largest response total the district has recorded, including nearly 900 student respondents.
Survey respondents were presented with the current two-tier schedule (middle/high starting roughly 7:30'8:00 a.m.; elementary around 9:00 a.m.) and an alternative that would reverse the tiers (elementary earlier, roughly 7:45 a.m.; secondary between 9:15' 9:30 a.m.). Overall, 51% of respondents favored the current schedule, 40% favored the alternative and 9% selected "none of the above" or wanted a different option.
The data showed clear differences by group. Elementary parents favored the current schedule (about 58%), while secondary students were the group most likely to support later starts; district staff responses were mixed. Survey comments (about 1,900 open-text responses) emphasized two common tradeoffs: student sleep and mental-health benefits from later secondary start times versus family logistics, childcare availability, athletics scheduling and student employment concerns if secondary days end later.
Administration summarized childcare and transportation impacts: roughly one-quarter of respondents reported childcare/after-school care would be affected by a schedule change; about 41% of respondents said students ride a bus regularly or sometimes, and transportation patterns were unlikely to change for many families under a flip scenario.
Board members thanked administration for the high response rate and broad participation, particularly from students. The board agreed the survey results do not require an immediate change for the coming school year and suggested further study: analyzing health and performance data, engaging family-engagement and other district committees, and exploring creative scheduling alternatives (for example, flexible blocks or activity windows) before any formal recommendation.
No schedule change was announced for the 2026'27 year; administration will use the summer and the 2026' 2027 year to evaluate next steps if the board authorizes further study.
