WILMINGTON, MA — At last night’s Wilmington School Committee meeting, Superintendent Mary DeLai announced the formation of a “Later School Start Time Working Group.”
“This group will be tasked with researching reasonable start times for all grade levels, investigating possible obstacles to a chance in start times, proposing possible solutions, and creating an action plan for any changes in time,” explained DeLai.
The Working Group would make recommendations to the School Committee by the end of the school year.
“Any budgetary impacts could then be incorporated into the FY19 budget proposal to be voted by the School Committee, Finance Committee, and Town Meeting prior to the start of the 2018-2019 school year.”
Last spring, Wilmington joined with other Middlesex League communities to investigate and potentially implement later high school start times in all districts, with the goal of implementing start times between 8am and 8:30am by the start of the 2018-2019 school year.
The Working Group will consist of 18 members across many stakeholder groups:
- One member of the Wilmington School Committee
- Superintendent of Schools
- Director of Finance & Administration
- Director of Athletics, Physical Education, and Health
- Three building administrators (one from each level – high school, middle school,
- elementary school)
- One representative from the Guidance Department
- Three teachers (one from each level)
- Two students (one middle, one high school)
- Three parents (one from each level)
- One police department representative
- One business community representative
The School Committee, at its meeting, appointed member Tom Talbot as its School Committee representative to the Working Group.
In a response to a question from School Committee member MJ Byrnes, DeLai noted that while the group’s title has the word “later” in it, their recommendations may favor EARLIER start times for lower grades in order to achieve LATER start times at the Middle School and High School due to busing practicalities.
The group will meet on a monthly basis. Its agendas and minutes will be posted on the school district’s website. The School Committee and public will receive periodic updates on the group’s progress at School Committee meetings.
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