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School Start Times

CGCSC School Start Times

Center Grove will shift school start times for the 2025-26 school year.
Research has found significant health and academic benefits when students in grades 6-12 start school later. The shift gives CGCSC the opportunity to provide families with a consistent schedule and give teachers additional time in their day for professional development and collaboration.

WHAT ARE THE CHANGES FOR 2025-26?

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

The elementary student schedule shifts start times 20 minutes later and reduces the student week by five minutes. Dismissal will be 10 minutes later than the current schedule. The elementary student week is shortened by 5 minutes. Early release is eliminated.

MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOLS

For middle and high school students, the start times will shift 30 minutes later and dismissal time will be 10 minutes later. The middle/high school student week will be reduced by 55 minutes. Early release is eliminated. 

SCHOOL SCHEDULE CHANGES

WHY MAKE THIS CHANGE?

Students are at the center of these changes. Shifting start times earlier allows us to accomplish three objectives:

  • Secondary Sleep: Better align secondary start times to natural sleep cycles for teenagers.
    • Research studies indicate that later start times align better with natural sleep cycles for teenagers, which shift by 2-3 hours during puberty. The cycles can make it more difficult for teens to fall asleep earlier and wake up earlier. The impact of later start times includes increased sleep duration, which is linked to improved physical and mental health, better attendance, higher graduation rates, and reduced instances of risky behaviors like substance abuse and unsafe driving.
  • Consistent Student Schedules: Provide families and students with a consistent school day length.
    • Families and students will benefit from a consistent length of the school day five days a week without early releases or late starts. 
  • Additional Teacher Time: Provide certified staff members with additional time for professional learning and collaboration.
    • Education researcher Dr. John Hattie states that the single biggest impact on student achievement is Teacher Efficacy. Teacher Efficacy is the level of confidence teachers have in their ability to guide students to success. We cannot expect our certified staff to have that confidence without the proper professional development and time for collaboration.

IMPROVED SLEEP

Later start times align better with natural sleep cycles for teenagers.

CONSISTENT SCHEDULE

The length of the school day for students will be consistent five days a week.

ADDITIONAL TIME FOR TEACHERS

Teachers will have additional time in the day for professional learning and collaboration.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A LATER START TIME?

Other districts in Indiana and across the country who have made a change to their school schedules have reported: 

  • Gains in student achievement 

  • Improved attentiveness in morning classes (fewer tired students)
  • Decreased tardiness 
  • Decreased rates of adolescent depression, anxiety, suicide ideation, obesity, automobile accidents, risk-taking behavior, drug and/or alcohol use
  • Fewer disciplinary referrals

WHAT IS DOES THE RESEARCH SAY?

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued a policy statement in September 2014 that recognized insufficient sleep in adolescents as an important health issue. The organization cited earlier school start times as a key contributor to insufficient sleep due to the changes in circadian rhythms experienced during puberty. Studies have shown natural sleep cycles for teenagers shift by 2-3 hours during puberty. The cycles can make it more difficult for teens to fall asleep earlier and wake up earlier. AAP cited a substantial body of research in its recommendation that high schools and middle schools push start times later.  The impact of later start times has since been linked to improved physical and mental health, better attendance, higher graduation rates, and reduced instances of risky behaviors like substance abuse and unsafe driving.

Since the AAP's recommendation, other health organizations have come out with their support for later start times including:

  • The American Medical Association
  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • The American Academy of Sleep Medicine
  • The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

TIMELINE FOR CHANGE

SUMMER 2024

  • April: Administrator review/discussion
  • May: Board Work Session
  • June: Administrator review/discussion
  • July: Administrator review/discussion
  • August: Board Work Session

FALL 2024

  • September: Admin. review & discussion; CGCSC Guiding Coalition review & discussion
  • October: Admin. review & discussion; CGCSC Guiding Coalition review & discussion; Survey of employees 
  • November: Admin. review/discussion of survey results; CGCSC Guiding Coalition review/discussion of survey results

WINTER 2025

  • December: Corp. & building administrators review, refine options.
  • January: Admin. review & discussion of revisions; CGCSC & Building Guiding Coalitions review revisions.
  • February: Survey of staff, parents, & community on latest revision; Admin. to review survey results, make necessary adjustments to proposal
  • Recommendation for Student Start Times changes approved by Board.
  • CGCSC Guiding Coalition review & discussion

SPRING 2025

  • Communication of potential student start times change for 2025-26 school year
  • Continue conversation on teacher/staff schedules

SCHOOL BOARD PRESENTATION (Feb. 20, 2025)

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