Several JP Schools Starting 2 Hours Earlier: 2018 New Start & End Times for JP’s Public Schools

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Boston Public Schools

Boston Public Schools Superintendent Tommy Change greets students.

Some Boston Public School students will get to sleep in a little later next year as the Boston School Committee approved altering start and end times for the 2018-2019 school year. But that's not the case for several Jamaica Plain schools as three schools will actually start two hours earlier and another school will start one hour earlier.

Boston Public Schools

Boston Public Schools Superintendent Tommy Change greets students.

“School bell times have tangible impacts on the lives of families, ranging from jobs to a student’s academic performance,” said BPS Superintendent Tommy Chang. “As a district, we must make sure that our students and families are set up for success, and they deserve nothing less. I am confident that next year’s school bell schedule will be an improvement for the majority of families, and is reflective of the feedback we have received from thousands of students, parents, and staff.”

But the Hennigan, Manning and Mission Hill K-8 School are all starting at least two hours earlier in the 2018-2019 school year compared to 2017-2018. The JFK school will be starting more than an hour earlier.

In total, 105 out of the district’s 125 schools will have new bell times next year. In total, 94 percent of middle and high schools will start after 8 am -- compared to 27 percent of them during the 2017-2018 school year. BPS officials pointed to research that repeatedly found that starting school later for middle and high schools improves academic outcomes, reduces tardiness, improves student physical and mental health, and even improves the quality of athletics.

School officials also said they "heard from our community that 4 pm or later is too late for elementary school students to dismiss after" and so the number of elementary students being dismissed after 4 pm has been decreased from 33 percent to 15 percent.

With these changes BPS also reduced the total costs of transportation, and added that, "Once we have a better understanding of the magnitude of these savings, we are hoping to reinvest those funds back into classrooms."

Here are the current and new start and end times for JP schools:

Boston Teachers Union K-8 Pilot
Current and new start time: 8:30 am to 9:30 am
Current and new end time: 3 pm to 4 pm

Community Academy
*No changes
Start time: 8 am
End time: 2:20 pm

Curley K-8
*No changes
Start time: 8:30 am
End time: 3:10 pm

English High School
Current and new start time: 7:20 am to 8 am
Current and new end time: 2:20 pm to 3 pm

James W. Hennigan K-8
Current and new start time: 9:30 am to 7:15 am
Current and new end time: 4:10 pm to 1:55 pm

John F. Kennedy Elementary School (JFK)
Current and new start time: 8:30 am to 7:15 am
Current and new end time: 3:10 pm to 1:55 pm

Manning Elementary School
Current and new start time:  9:30 am to 7:15 am
Current and new end time: 4:10 pm to 1:55 pm

Margarita Muniz Academy
*No changes
New start time: 8:30 am
New end time: 3:30 to 2:30 pm (12:30 pm on Friday)

Mission Hill K-8 School
Current and new start time: 9:30 am to 7:15 am
Current and new end time: 3:30 pm to 1:15 pm

West Zone Early Learning Center
Current and new start time: 7:30 am to 7:45 am
Current and new end time: 4:35 pm to 4:50 pm

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