Pleasantville Public Schools is weighing a plan to push start times back across all grade levels, a move that could change morning schedules for hundreds of families in Atlantic County.
What’s Changing?
The proposal would shift Pleasantville High School’s reporting time from 7:45 a.m. to 8 a.m. Middle school students would begin at 8:30 a.m. instead of 8:05 a.m., while elementary schools would move from 8:50 a.m. to 9 a.m.
The adjustments are modest—between 10 and 25 minutes—but significant enough to alter daily routines. District officials say the change is aimed at boosting attendance, improving punctuality, and giving students a stronger start to the day.
Why It Matters?
The debate comes amid growing concern nationwide that early school schedules cut into student sleep and performance. Studies have linked later start times to better focus and academic outcomes, particularly in high school.
Pleasantville isn’t the first district to take this on. Chatham High School in Morris County pushed its start from 7:40 to 8:20 in 2022. Around the same time, state lawmakers floated a bill that would make 8:30 the earliest allowable start for public high schools, though the measure has not advanced.
The Pushback
Not everyone is on board. Parents at a recent board meeting raised alarms about disrupted work schedules, delayed lunches, and later pickup times. Families with young children worry that pushing the day later could leave them with long stretches between meals and limited flexibility for after-school activities.
The district has outlined a three-tier transportation plan to support the new schedule, including adding five buses to ease congestion and stagger drop-offs. Still, parents remain divided on whether the benefits outweigh the disruptions.
What’s Next?
Pleasantville enrolls students across one high school, one middle school, and four elementary schools. Officials say they want to finalize a schedule quickly to give families time to adjust before the school year begins.
For now, the plan remains under review. With state lawmakers and local communities continuing to debate school start times, Pleasantville’s decision could be the catalyst for a change in how the school day is structured statewide.
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