Moms Talk: School Start Times

Each week in Moms Talk, our Moms Council of experts and smart moms take your questions, give advice and share solutions. West Bloomfield Patch invites you and your circle of friends to help build a community of support for mothers and their families here in West Bloomfield.

, a plan was discussed to move the start time of school earlier in the day.

The new schedule would change the start and dismissal times in all of the buildings. West Bloomfield High School would start at 7:10, thirteen minutes earlier than the current start time.

Superintendent JoAnn Andrees said that this plan will help the district retain more teachers by saving close to half a million dollars over the current system.

Trustee Melanie Torbert expressed concern about requiring high school students to wake up earlier, when studies have shown that later start times are more beneficial for teenagers.

The transportation proposal was recommended by the group, which held a study session after Monday night’s meeting regarding ideas for districtwide cost reduction measures.