NCHS students next year will have the benefit of sleeping in a little bit longer.
On May 10, the New Castle Community School Board of Trustees approved a measure that would extend the school day for 30 minutes for high school students. This will change the school day from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. According to the Courier-Times, this time extension was made possible a federal relief package. New Castle Schools were given over $6 million dollars through the package.
This change is the 2nd change to the schedule in as many years for NCHS. For the 2019-2020 school year, the school day for 8:00-3:00. For the 2020-2021 school year, with the pandemic raging and hoping to keep contact to a minimum, the school day was trimmed down to 8:00-2:32.
Along with the high school, the middle school and elementary schools will also have their day extended. The school day for the middle school will start at 8:25 a.m. and will end at 3:25 p.m., while the school day for the elementary schools will start at 8:00 a.m. and dismiss at 2:55 p.m.
Current New Castle Middle School principal and future assistant superintendent Adam McDaniel claimed that this prolonged school day would allow teachers more time to convene and participate in training courses.
This move makes New Castle the third high school in Henry County to have their school day go past 3:00 p.m. Blue River Valley’s school day ends at 3:05, while Tri’s school day ends at 3:06.
Student reactions to the schedule change have been divisive. Those who like the new schedule say that starting the day later will allow for a more positive and encouraging school environment.
“I believe that letting people sleep in and start their day a little later will give people more time to do what they need to do in the morning,” Sophomore Jackson Williams said.
Some students, however, oppose the change in the schedule. These students claim that with this new schedule, it will present conflicts with sports and work.
“Students in sports wont get home until much later,” Junior Alaina Huesman said.
Junior Andrew Fewell extended his point to students who work. “It will prevent kids from arriving at their work at time because multiple people at this school work shifts at 4 and work in a different town other than New Castle,” Fewell said.
Students also claim that the half-hour of sleep gained from moving the start time to 8:30 a.m. would be redundant if they had to arrive at school early. “People could still get into the school at 7:30 am but that would mean the extra half hour of sleep would be completely useless because students would still be waking up at their normal times to get to school,” Junior Clayton Conway said.
Behind all of the backlash, there is a reason that this later schedule has been implemented. Researchers at the University of Washington found that sleep times increased and tardies decreases when schools pushed back their start times. That same study also found that grades at one school increased by almost 5 percent when start times were delayed.
This adjustment will rile up those who do not like change. These student’s concerns can be addressed. Managers must be mindful of this schedule change when scheduling shifts for their high school workers. If students are willing to work hard at school every day and, they will reap the rewards.
