Phoenixville Area School District approves later school start times

PHOENIXVILLE, Pa. (FOX 29) - Students in the Phoenixville Area School District will be starting school 30 to 45 minutes later in the 2019-2020 school year.

"I don't like getting up early in the morning. I'm like always really tired during school, but I like getting out of school early," sixth grader Emily Birdsell said.

If you ask most kids, they probably say the same, they don't like getting up early for school, In the Phoenixville Area School District, the board just voted to start the school day 30 to 45 minutes later for all students after reviewing studies suggesting that adolescents need more sleep.

"The science seems to suggest it's really good for the high school kids, so it's hard to refute that. I think the new start time makes sense for them," parent Jason Birdsell said.

But there is concern on multiple fronts from parents of elementary kids.

"This is going to impact me in a way that I don't think the superintendent understands," parent Katie Mitchell said.

Katie Mitchell is a working single mother of two elementary students, ages 7 and 8. Under the new schedule, her girls would start at 9:05 a.m.

"Where is the extra money going to come from next year for before care because I already pay for aftercare that's my concern," Mitchell said.

Other parents say the new start time has other drawbacks.

"There's a little concern by everybody that the elementary school kids are going to start so late they'll get home later it'll even be dark in winter," Birdsell said.