Sleep & School Start Times

The Lower Merion Board of School Directors approved the bell times below to begin in September 2024:

• Middle School 8:00 a.m. – 2:35 p.m.
• High School 8:30 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.
• Elementary School 9:10 a.m. - 3:45 p.m.

The implementation of this schedule, which decreases the length of the school day for middle schools (15 minutes) and high schools (25 minutes), will necessitate revisions to the current class schedules at both of these levels.

In addition, some students may arrive at their schools with very little time before the start of the school day. There will be ongoing work with the attendance offices and Nutritional Services to ensure that students on buses that arrive with little time prior to the start of school can get breakfasts, if needed, and will not be marked “Tardy.”

This schedule may be further modified after implementation, as real-time data regarding transportation times and scheduling impacts becomes available. In the meantime, it should be noted that some students will be assigned to different bus numbers and routes for their AM and PM rides.

The District will also solicit feedback from staff during the upcoming school year to assess the impacts of this new schedule on staff members, their families and their ability to serve as coaches and advisors for afterschool sports, clubs and activities.

The presentation deck from the Board meeting can be viewed here. The full meeting video can be viewed here.

At the May 8, 2023, Education Committee and Supplementary Education Committee meeting, Acting Superintendent Megan E. Shafer shared an update on the ongoing work to address concerns that were raised by the community and recognized by the Board, when they voted in favor of changing school start times for September 2024.

To address concerns about elementary school ending after 4:00 p.m., Ms. Shafer shared several different bell schedules with slight adjustments to the length of the school day at various levels and/or starting the middle school slightly earlier. These various options can be found on pages 8 through 11 of the presentation available here. Feedback about these possible adjustments can be shared with the Board by emailing sleep@lmsd.org.

In addition to the various modifications, Ms. Shafer noted that discussions were underway with Right At School about their ability to staff a short before-care option for families needing a small window of childcare prior to the start of the elementary school day. These discussions include the potential cost for Right At School staff and also internal discussions about other ways to staff and pay for that supervision.

Finally, she noted ongoing efforts to gather staff voice and support them through the transition, including conversations with the Lower Merion Education Association and a planned staff survey in Fall 2023, as well as the connection among start times and other wellness and Policy work, and she outlined the communications planning around the transition.

The full presentation deck can be viewed here and the full meeting video can be viewed here.

Implementing healthy start times in LMSD has been the focus of many thoughtful discussions among students, families and staff over the past several weeks. These most recent conversations follow years of research, consideration and advocacy for making a change based on recommendations by numerous medical and public health organizations to better align start times with teens’ sleep patterns. The issue is important to our community, and the Lower Merion Board of School Directors and Administration appreciate that so many of stakeholders shared feedback to help the Board make an informed decision.

On March 20, 2023, after additional stakeholder comments, lengthy Board discussion and careful consideration, the Board voted 7 to 2 in favor of implementing a modified version of the proposed schedule in September 2024. The current school start time schedule will remain in place for the 2023-2024 school year.

As the reminder the proposal under consideration was:

• The middle school day begins first, at 8:00 a.m. and ends at 2:50 p.m.
• The high school day begins second at 8:40 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m.
• The elementary school day begins last at 9:20 a.m. and ends at 4:05 p.m.

The modifications requested by the Board include:

• Ending the elementary school day 15 minutes earlier than the proposed end time of 4:05 p.m.
• Providing before-school childcare supports for elementary students and their families
• Considering a slightly earlier middle school start, if necessary, to ensure that no school ends after 4:00 p.m.
• Ensuring that educators are supported during the transition to the new schedule with choice, agency and voice in the planning and implementation.

On May 8 and June 20, 2023, the Administration will provide updates to the Board and community on their work to incorporate these modifications into a final plan for a September 2024 change in school start times. The Board expects to vote on that plan with in early summer 2023, to allow for its implementation in September 2024.

It is also important to note that school start times are one of many ways we are addressing student safety, mental and physical wellness, and sense of belonging. While we plan to operationalize a new schedule for September 2024, we will also work on initiatives including educating students and families about healthy sleep habits, managing screen time, maintaining healthy diets and exercise routines, and practicing mindfulness.

Updates will be shared on this page and through direct communications. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please email communitycomments@lmsd.org.

UPDATE: On March 13, 2023, The Lower Merion Board of School Directors reviewed a presentation summarizing preliminary feedback data gathered from a series of stakeholder engagement initiatives on the proposal to change school starts in September 2023. The feedback was collected through in-person and virtual “Listen and Learn” sessions; a survey for students, parents/guardians and staff; emails to the dedicated sleep@lmsd.org email box; and in-person outreach.

The proposal under consideration is shown below:

• The middle school day begins first, at 8:00 a.m. and ends at 2:50 p.m.
• The high school day begins second at 8:40 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m.
• The elementary school day begins last at 9:20 a.m. and ends at 4:05 p.m.

To view the presentation, click here. The full meeting video will be posted here, once it can be processed and made accessible. The Board is expected to vote on the proposal at the Regular Business Board Meeting on Monday, March 20, 2023, at 8:00 p.m.

At the Jan. 23, 2023, meeting of the Lower Merion Board of School Directors, the Board approved a resolution authorizing the District Administration to move forward with community, staff, and student engagement strategies regarding the proposed ordering of school start times as follows:

• The middle school day begins first, at 8:00 a.m. and ends at 2:50 p.m.
• The high school day begins second at 8:40 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m.
• The elementary school day begins last at 9:20 a.m. and ends at 4:05 p.m.

Additionally, the Administration will continue to determine the operational costs and potential mitigation measures associated with implementing this schedule. This information, together with the vital community, staff, and student feedback, will be used to inform the Board’s next steps regarding, among other things, the timeline for implementation.

The presentation from that meeting is available here. The video of the meeting will be available here. An infographic highlighting the key points described below is available here.

• LMSD Students, Parents/Guardians and Staff are invited to participate in a survey to help assess the impact of the proposed schedule change. Click here to access the survey, which will be open through March 3, 2023. Students will be given time in school to complete the survey.
• LMSD Students, Parents/Guardians and Staff are invited to participate in a Listen and Learn session to learn more about the proposed schedule change and to share their feedback. To see a list of the Listen and Learn sessions (both in-person and virtual) and to register to participate, click here.
• To view Feb. 21, 2023, presentation to the Board on the investigation into changing school start times, click here.
• To view the Feb. 21, 2023 meeting video of the Lower Merion Board of School Directors, click here.