Montgomery County school district moves back start times to promote student health

LOWER MERION TWP., Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- The Lower Merion School District will have its classes starting later this year in the hopes of promoting student health.

The high school will start at 8:30 a.m. instead of the usual 7:30 a.m. starting the first day back, September 3.

The middle school start times will be 15 minutes earlier (8 a.m.) and the elementary start times will be pushed back 10 minutes to 9:10 a.m.

"I'm absolutely thrilled," said Laura Goldenberg, whose son, David, is going into his junior year.

"I think it's good because, you know, it's nice to sleep in," said David Seibel.

Goldenberg has been pushing for the change in start times since moving into the district two years ago.

She said the science supports the idea of kids getting more sleep.

"We change it because it's the right thing to do for the kids. For the kids' mental health, for the kids' physical health, and for the kids' brain power to be able to get the most out of school," said Goldenberg.

The change is a long time coming for the Lower Merion School District. After years of lobbying by parents, the school board voted in June of 2023 to push back the start times, calling it healthier.

"The parents and the medical experts that have been advocating for this kind of change, point to this as an overall student wellness initiative," said Amy Buckman, the spokesperson for the district.

But with the change could come some problems. In the past, when rush hour picked up outside of the school, most kids were already in the classroom.

Now, it will be much busier during that time.

"We're really asking everybody who drives by any of our schools to have patience and to be careful, especially with our pedestrians and our youngest students on the roads at different times," said Buckman.