Panel seeks talk on NHS starting time

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

NORTHAMPTON - Despite agreeing with research showing that a later start time at Northampton High School would be a clear benefit to students, the slew of scheduling problems that would accompany the switch was enough to deter a decision among Curriculum Subcommittee members Thursday night.

Although all three members at the subcommittee meeting said they would rather NHS start the day at 8 a.m. instead of 7:30, they passed a motion 2-1 Thursday night stating that they were uncomfortable moving forward with plans to make the half-hour change and would rather continue the discussion with the nine-member School Committee as a whole at their next meeting.

Members James Young and Michael Flynn voted in favor of the motion. But Downey Meyer, who cast the dissenting vote, said he wanted to endorse moving the start time at the high school back a half-hour next year and then worry about rearranging transportation to and from the school.

"I'm just saying, let's go for 8 o'clock and let's see how the transportation part of it plays out," Meyer said. "Transportation is transportation, but if we can improve the education of our high school students by getting them to school at 8 o'clock rather than at 7:30 I think we should do it."

Prior to the vote, Superintendent Isabelina Rodriguez, who will leave her post to head Granby's public school system in January, urged members to base their decision on what they think is best for the students rather than worrying about how the system would find a way to pay for additional buses.

"If you want to do this then you have to find a way to fund it. Our children must be picked up at the time we've decided to dismiss them and brought in when we want them to be at school," Rodriguez said. "I'm saying if you want this change to be a priority you should make your decision separate from the problems associated with transportation."

The discussion on whether to change the start date at NHS will continue next Thursday, Dec. 9, at a School Committee meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Community Room at JFK Middle School.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.