MNPS moves back school start times
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The Nashville school board voted on Tuesday to slightly move back the starting and ending times for elementary and high school students beginning in the fall.
- Middle school students will remain on their current schedule.
Zoom in: MNPS elementary students will begin their school days 10 minutes later, at 8:10am, and end at 3:10pm.
- High schools will begin at 7:25am and dismiss at 2:25pm, which is 20 minutes later than the current schedule.
- Middle school will continue to run from 8:55am until 3:55pm. Charter schools and optional magnet schools aren't affected by the change.
The big picture: MNPS evaluated months of surveys from students, parents and teachers before arriving at the more modest shift.
- Research shows that older students benefit from later start times, but the district had to grapple with logistics, including after-school care, transportation and extra-curricular schedules.
Flashback: Mayor Freddie O'Connell pushed the district to study the possibility of later start times.
- He said in a press release he supported the changes.
- "I'm thankful to the board and community for their thoughtful decision because this will improve the supportive learning environment for all our students," he said.
What she's saying: "Even modest adjustments can make a real difference, and this plan moves us forward in a thoughtful, responsible way," MNPS director Adrienne Battle said in a statement.