Start TIme Change

Every minute counts. This is a lesson many Greenwich High School students are learning as a result of the earlier start time. Doctors and experts state that the minimum amount of sleep high schoolers should be getting is eight hours. However, this is becoming exceedingly difficult when school begins at 8:00, with the first bell ringing at 7:45. 

This change occurred in order to save $1.9 million on transportation after the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) voted to reduce public schools’ operating budget by $4.1 million. By making the high school start earlier, GHS’ buses are able to be used for other schools in the district, decreasing the amount of money needing to be spent on buses. In all, it cut about 18 buses.

However, this change is more intricate from a student’s perspective. Each student faces their own unique experiences, therefore the start time change has in turn affected everyone differently. 

Ava Rockel, a player on the field hockey team, explained how her sports practice times haven’t shifted along with the school time change due to her coach being a teacher at a different school in the district. This means she’s still arriving home at the same time as she would've in the past years, despite having to wake up earlier. While she has a little time to do work at school before practice, this results in her having less time at home to do homework.

Shay Sippel plays on the GHS soccer team and personally loves the new start time. Her practice starts and ends earlier than last year, allowing her to arrive home earlier as well. She enjoys being home from practice at 5:00 every day.

Nicole Klosinski participates in the theater department at GHS and is currently playing a role in the Shakespeare play. Prior to this year, there would be rehearsals before school, but due to the earlier start time all rehearsals have to be after school now. This requires theater students to stay after school every day for rehearsals, whereas last year, they didn’t have rehearsals every day, due to them also having morning rehearsals.

Charlotte Marek stated: “I think as an athlete it [new start time] is great because last year and years prior we would be leaving school at 2:00 for frequent away games and that meant leaving school and missing the entire last block of the day. And now with school ending earlier I am able to go to my last block class, connect with the teacher, get the homework (etc.) and still make it to the bus on time.”

One thing that’s clear is that the start time change has affected everyone differently.