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Medfield High students tell school committee later start time reduced access to extra help, survey finds
Summary
Student representatives told the Medfield School Committee that a student survey found 88.9% of senior respondents prefer the previous 7:40 a.m. start time and raised concerns about loss of before/after-school extra help, reduced homework time and sports conflicts; the committee asked administrators for comparative flex-use data.
Student leaders urged the Medfield School Committee on Thursday to weigh academic-support impacts from the district's later start time, saying a small student survey showed most seniors preferred the prior 7:40 a.m. schedule.
"88.9%, which is 32 out of the 36, said that they preferred last year's start time to this year's," a senior representative reported, adding the sample reflected 36 responses from about 175 students. Students said the later end time had reduced access to extra help and cut into homework, jobs and activities.
"We're not allowed to go to extra help before or after school, and I have noticed how this has impacted my learning and grades," one student told the committee, describing the shift from in-person after-school support to at-home work without a teacher.
Student speakers summarized the main concerns: (1) loss of before/after-school extra help and one-on-one access with teachers; (2) less available time for homework, part-time jobs and extracurriculars; and (3) mixed effects on sleep—one-third of survey respondents said they felt less rested, while about a quarter reported improved rest and 41.7% reported no change.
Students also cited specific extracurricular impacts: a swimmer said the team can no longer practice at Kingsbury and must travel to Canton from 5:30 to 7 p.m., and some clubs now conflict with later sports schedules because advisers are unavailable after school.
Administrators and committee members discussed the district's flex model as the substitute for after-school help. The secondary principal said teachers have deliberately preserved flex time for extra help and that data from the MyFlex Learning system can show how often students sign up for extra-help slots and how many teacher slots go unused.
Committee members asked administrators to provide comparative flex-use and after-school attendance figures from this year and last so the committee can quantify whether students are receiving the same level of support under the new schedule. One committee member said a short follow-up presentation or a meeting with staff and data analysts should be scheduled in the coming weeks.
The committee did not vote on any policy changes Thursday; student presenters and committee members said they would continue to gather data and monitor impacts throughout the year.
