DEARBORN (WWJ) -- The first bell rang a little bit later on the first day of school in Dearborn today.
Following years of discussion and citing national sleep research, the Dearborn Public School District’s start times have been pushed back for all levels.
Classes at Fordson, Dearborn High and Edsel Ford high schools and STEM Middle School will now start at 7:50 a.m. -- as opposed to 7:15 a.m. -- and the school day will run until 2:45 p.m.
Middle schools and kindergarten to 8th grade schools, including Lowrey School, McCollough Elementary, Salina Elementary and Salina Intermediate, will start at 8:25 a.m. and go until 3:20 p.m.
Elementary schools in the district will start at 9:00 a.m. and end at 3:55 p.m.
Superintendent Glenn Maleyko tells WWJ that giving decision for later start times has been met with support from parents and the community.
“I really have not received any opposition to it,” Maleyko said. “We surveyed parents and they were supportive and the unions obviously signed on to it. I have received more positive feedback from everyone about the change.”
The new start and end times are 20 to 30 minutes later at each grade level compared to the schedule before the COVID-19 pandemic. High school is 30 minutes later, middle school 25 minutes and elementary school 20 minutes.
“This gives them enough time to get more sleep, maybe even later would be better if we could, but this is a start,” Maleyko told WWJ. “Basically they come in and they’re more alert … they do better within their studies, academically with their achievement, and it’s much healthier for them overall.”
Several factors go into setting the school schedules, including state requirements, family logistics, sports schedules, bussing, after-school care, and more.
Dearborn Public Schools first made the announcement about the new school day schedule in June in order to give parents time to plan for fall.
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