Superintendent Dorland also sent a letter to the members of the Start Time Task Force about the factors that went into her decision to change start times in Fall 2023.

Dear Start Time Taskforce Members:

On January 12, 2022, the Board of Education tasked me with investigating the feasibility of implementing new equitable and healthy start and end times for the 2022-2023 school year. As I shared in that meeting, I am strongly committed to a change in start times and the question wasn’t “if,” but rather “when” it would happen. After conversations with District staff and school level leaders, I have made the decision to implement new school start and end times in Jeffco at the start of the 2023-2024 school year. As you know this change is only for our district-run schools and does not include charter schools that are governed by separate Boards of Directors.

The biggest driver in my decision to work toward a 2023-2024 launch is ensuring the best quality implementation, while also working with our students, staff and families to solve their anticipated challenges. For the next 18 months, the District will focus on troubleshooting staffing issues around transportation, ramping up after school programs (such as childcare) to meet anticipated increases in demand, and informing and educating the larger Jeffco community about equitable and healthy start and end times.

I am incredibly grateful for the work of this long-running task force. Over the past five years, your commitment to studying options and solving for the complexities of our mountain communities and the large geographic regions we serve on the front range has positioned us well for implementation. Equitable and healthy start and end times are also aligned to our strategic plan currently in development: Jeffco Thrives 2025. With the plan launching in August 2022, Jeffco will be in the best place possible to build on your recommendation to prepare our community and each school for this change in 2023-2024.

Your continued engagement and involvement in this process is something I deeply value and want to acknowledge. I hope you will join me on Wednesday, April 6 at 5:30pm at the Ed Center to discuss next steps, including talking about the District’s plan for future community engagement opportunities that I hope you will be a part of.

I am truly grateful for your commitment to our students. I know in the time that it has taken for us to move this forward some of your children have graduated and yet, you have remained committed to seeing this through. I cannot thank you enough for your dedication and look forward to your continued engagement as we begin to implement your work across our Jeffco Schools.

Thank you,

Tracy Dorland

Superintendent

Jefferson County Public Schools

303-982-6800

tracy.dorland@jeffco.k12.co.us

Board of Education Study Session

April 14, 2021

The Start Times Task Force was invited to speak to the Board of Education to present the findings of the August 2020 Bell Changes Study Report from School Bus Logistics.

Start Times Task Force Update

December 9, 2020

The Start Times Task Force held a virtual meeting. School Bus Logistics consultant Robert Jacobus updated the Task Force on his second round of work started in March 2020 and the final report that was submitted to Jeffco School on August 10, 2020.

Board of Education Study Session Presentation

February 5, 2020

The Jeffco Start Times Task Force spoke with the Jeffco Board of Education about the work completed during the Fall of 2019 at a Board study session on February 5, 2020.

Review the Task Force presentation presented to the BOE at this meeting in the slide show on the left and additional FAQ information provided by the Start Times Task Force on the right.

Board of Education Study Session Presentation

February 7, 2019

The Jeffco Start Times Task Force presented their final recommendations to the Board of Education on February 7, 2019.

View the Task Force presentation given to the BOE at this meeting in the slide show on the left, review the report presented to the BOE on the right or listen and watch the recorded livestream of the presentation here.

School Start Time Interim Committee Presentation

August 31, 2018

The Jeffco Task Force was invited to give a presentation at the Colorado State Capitol to the four-member School Start Time Interim Study Committee about why this task force was assembled, what we are charged to do, and how we are doing it.

See the Committee Agenda and our presentation below.

School Start Time Meeting with Jeffco Schools Cabinet

August 27, 2018

The Jeffco Task Force requested to meet in-person with the Jeffco Schools cabinet to gather their feedback on the challenges and opportunities of changing start times in Jeffco. The Task Force prepared a Fact Sheet for members of the Jeffco Schools District staff.

February 21, 2018

On February 21st an open meeting was held by Jeffco Public Schools and attended by over 100 community members. Dr. Jason Glass made a short presentation and the assembled table groups engaged in an exercise to have conversations about the challenges of school start times in Jeffco. The meeting notes from the table discussions and sharing were recorded for viewing. After the meeting an application was opened for interested stakeholders to apply for the School Start Time Task Force. Members were selected, 48 in total, and notified of the first meeting on May 21, 2018.

About the Task Force Co-Chairs

• Katie Winner- katie.winner@nyu.edu
  Arvada West Articulation Area, Parent of Middle and High School -Community Advocate- Former Higher Education Administrator- NY native, avid hockey fan, Member-Arvada Chamber of Commerce, Owner- For The Win Communications, Ltd., Writer- Jeffco Public Education Network- JeffcoPEN.

• Laura Johnson
  Evergreen Articulation Area - owner of Better Place Marketing for education, youth nonprofits and EdTech Organizations.

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School Start Time Task Force