Schedule changes could come to Boulder schools

We all know how hard it is to get kids up in the morning, especially those teenagers who are in high school -- but that could soon change for kids at Boulder Valley Schools. 

If a task force proposal is adopted by the school district, the starting bell may be pushed back 30 minutes, in turn letting kids out of school 30 minutes later.

District officials said the task force is made up of parents, teachers and administrators and is tasked with studying the current school day and class flow. The task force has come forward with several recommendations, including pushing the school start time back at the high school level, extending lunch and recess times for elementary school students and adjusting current music programs to allow more time in art class.

"The recommendation under consideration [for high school students] is a start time of 8:30 to 9 a.m., which will result in end times of 4 to 4:30 p.m.," Superintendant Bruce Messinger wrote in a blog on the district website.

Some students at Boulder County High School that Denver7 spoke with say they could use the extra time in the morning.

“I’m usually up studying until probably like 10 or 11 [p.m.] and then I have to get here at 8 [a.m.] and so I usually have to wake up at like 6... and so I’m usually like, exhausted in the mornings,” said Deeda Browning, who’s a student at Boulder High School.

“I drive my brother to school in the morning too because he’s a freshman, so we usually get here like, five minutes before the starting bell rings,” said Seattle Trempe, another Boulder High School student.

At the elementary level, the district tells Denver7 there is a big emphasis on healthy foods and exercise, but admits right now that kids don’t have time to eat that healthy food.

“Getting the children out to get fresh air, to get physical activity so when we have a condensed school day, then sometimes those things get shortened or even eliminated and we want to get it back,” said Messinger.

Messenger said switching up schedules isn’t easy on the district's schedule, or that of parents. He said nothing is set in stone and at the earliest, any changes wouldn’t come before the 2017 school year.

Messinger added it’s important to give parents and students ample time to adjust their schedules to any changes the district makes.

“We want to give adequate time to make the adjustment, so for families, for students, if we have to change activity schedules, if we have to change bus schedules, so it isn’t something that you can just do immediately,” said Messinger.