VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – Virginia Beach City Public School administrators are planning to meet on Tuesday to discuss results of a survey about changing school start times.
The school system created a survey asking “Are you in favor of shifting school start times?”
Results of the survey show 76.1 percent of participants want to maintain the current schedule and 23.9 percent want to shift the start times. In total, nearly 25,000 people weighed in.
10 On Your Side spoke to Superintendent Aaron Spence about the findings and what happens next.
“The best I can tell you is that’s information that our board requested as they deliberate… [T]hey will take that information under review at our next board meeting and likely make a decision by the end of the year so we can communicate that our families. I don’t want to speculate what they will do with it,” Spence said. “It’s just open for discussion and the board needs to deliberate on that.”
A school district spokesperson tells 10 On Your Side that the survey results will be taken into account at the school board meeting on Tuesday.
A vote on school start times is expected on Dec. 10.
Virginia Beach school officials have been looking into the possibility of changing school start times since 2015. Research shows a later start time is better for overall health and wellness.
Based on the research, officials proposed shifting elementary and high schools to an earlier start time.
Proposed Start Times
- Elementary A Schools: 7:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Elementary B Schools: 8 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
- Middle Schools: 8:40 a.m. – 3:10 p.m.
- High Schools: 9:20 a.m. – 4:10 p.m.
Current Schedule
- Elementary A Schools: 8:10 a.m. – 2:40 p.m.
- Elementary B Schools: 8:40 a.m. – 3:10 p.m.
- Middle Schools: 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- High Schools: 7:20 a.m. – 2:10 p.m.
To view the results of the survey: https://www.opentownhall.com/portals/204/Issue_7962/survey_responses
