MASHPEE – School officials in Mashpee are examining a later start time for high school students.
A committee is being formed to investigate the pros and cons of changing school start times.
The high school currently starts at 7:30 with the Quashnet Elementary School and the Kenneth C. Coombs School starting at 8:15 a.m. and 8:20 a.m. respectively.
Discussions about changing high school start times have begun in recent years after a number of studies show more sleep being beneficial for adolescence.
Mashpee Superintendent of Schools Brian Hyde said the purpose of creating the committee is to be prepared.
“We are just looking at it. It’s not a big priority. We haven’t had a push for or against,” he said. “But our school committee thinks it is something that may come back and we’d like to be prepared if parents decide one way or the other.”
Hyde said that Falmouth and Barnstable both researched the premise of a later high school start last year but have decided not to pursue the change.
He said the logistics of making a change would be easier in Mashpee.
“We are a small system and we could tweak our beginning time in the morning without any pain whatsoever.”
Hyde says an email will go out to parents to see who would be interested on joining the committee.
“I would like to hear from our parents, from our teachers and from our students, obviously, about what their beliefs are and we will make a decision on that,” he said. “We want to do what is in the best interest for our students and certainly our families.”
Mashpee Public Schools begin the new year on Wednesday.
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