D20 discussing changing school start and end times for different student age groups

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- This Thursday, the Academy School District 20 school board is slated to discuss a proposal for new school start and end times.

According to the school board agenda, a subcommittee under the District Calendar Review Task Force has been analyzing research on start and end times for "each level of schools."

The agenda claims the specific research "has resulted in school districts across the country making changes to their start and end times to benefit student engagement and learning."

The subcommittee is recommending changes in start times for each level of school on a rotation, which will start with elementary schools meeting earliest, followed by high schools, and ending with middle schools.

They are recommending that the school district establish "three separate tiers for transportation," based on the different start times.

A spokesperson for D20 says the proposal is not finalized, and the school board is still working on notifying administrators and staff about the proposal.

The subcommittee submitted the recommended action Friday, Jan. 13.

The school board will meet for a public meeting Thursday from 6-9 p.m. The public can attend in person at the Academy District 20 Education and Administration Center, or virtually on Microsoft Teams.