By Logan Wells, News Director | Logan@kymnradio.net
The Northfield School Board is starting a months-long discussion tonight to consider a later start time for the middle and high school. Tonight’s meeting is intended only to kick off the discussion, with plans, public input, and a final decision occurring throughout the winter and spring. Superintendent Dr Matt Hillmann said that the idea has had a lot of research and data:
“Research on moving middle and high school start times past 8:30 shows several health benefits for students. Mental health benefits for kids, academic improvements, things like fewer car accidents, right? There’s just an amazing number of pieces that the research would suggest this would be a good thing, right, to do for kids. Now you have that part, and then you have to have the logistical challenges that the board will also have to wrestle with.” – Dr. Matt Hillmann, Superintendent of Northfield Public Schools, on KYMN In The Morning
Listen to the News:
The board tonight will hold a work session meeting to discuss the reasons for considering a later start time, Professor Kyla Wahlstrom from the
University of Minnesota will attend to share research on later school start times.
After tonight’s meeting, the plan is that the School Board will review possible schedule options in January, collect public input in March, and then further review and refine options in April, with a final approval of a new plan set for May.
“So I’m excited to have the board have the discussion. We’ve got opportunity for public input scheduled throughout, but this is really the kickoff of it just to discuss. And I anticipate at several points during the process, the board will say, okay, at this point, do we want the conversation to move forward?” – Matt Hillmann, Superintendent of Northfield Public Schools, on KYMN In The Morning
Tonight’s Work Session and Special School Board Meeting gets underway at 5pm. The special meeting will be recorded, the work session meeting will not be, KYMN news will be in attendance, and have a 10 Minutes or Less segment with the details tomorrow.
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