NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Several online petitions are now circulating in hopes the Norfolk School Board will reconsider their decision to change school start times this fall.
The original decision was made in February 2019 to significantly alter class schedules starting in fall 2020 after research showed later start times was beneficial to health and improved academic performance.
Last Wednesday during a school board work session, Cooperative Strategies — the company advising the board on the changes — recommended delaying changing start times until fall 2021 because of financial and logistical hurdles.
Despite the consultant’s recommendation to delay implementing later start times, the school board voted last week to keep with the original plan, meaning start times will change beginning this fall.
However, seven months out, parents like Kate Sharrow feel left in the dark, and she doesn’t understand the school board’s logic.
“As a parent I haven’t been notified at all. I have no idea [of the schedule],” Sharrow said. “I can only imagine if I was a single parent how much stress this would cause.”
In February 2019, the consultant recommended high schools start between 8:50 a.m. and 9:00 a.m and elementary schools between 7:30 a.m. to 7:40 a.m. — nearly the opposite of the current schedules.
Last Wednesday, Cooperative Strategies said that because of a multitude of reasons, they recommended Acting Superintendent Sharon Byrdsong delay the schedule change for a year.
A resolution was brought forward to do just that.
“I don’t want us to rush into something if the boots on the ground, if the soldier’s are telling us we can’t handle it,” said Dr. Noëlle Gabriel, chair of the board.
However, she was only joined by only one other board member with her thoughts.
“A direction, is a direction,” said board member Lauren Campsen. “I don’t know how we can be a year later and [the plan is] not done. Someone needs to be accountable for that.”
Campsen said it is time to stop kicking the can down the road. In the end the board voted 5-2 to have times change in the fall of 2020.
“That’s not a reason to move forward,” Sharrow said. “It’s not really planned out the way that it should be.”
Sharrow and her husband started a petition to persuade the school board to change their minds.