The 2017-2018 PHS school year has changed its start time and end time. Years prior, students started school at 7:30am and would get out at 2:30pm. This year is different because students start school at 8:20am and get out at 3:20pm. Students have mixed opinions about the change this year; some think the change is good, while others do not approve.

I asked a few students from each grade about their opinion on the new school start time.  

Many students like the new school start time because they get more sleep. They said that the change gives them more time to get ready for school and they also feel more awake in the morning.

“I appreciate the new school start time because it allows me to get more quality sleep, which makes my day better in general. It gives me less time to do my homework, but it puts positive pressure on me to get it done faster.” Chithra Singareddy (Senior)

“I like that I have time in the morning to go to the gym. I get home from track pretty late sometimes, but I still have enough time to get my homework done.” Tom Sylla (Junior)

“I like the change this year because of the TASC block. It gives students extra time for doing homework. I get a lot of it done then, which makes it easier to do extracurricular activities and still keep your regular bedtime routine. However, I think people’s opinion depends on what grade they are in and what they have going on outside of school.” Olivia Ayotte (Sophomore)

Some students that I talked to had a different perspective on the change. They do not approve of it because it conflicts with their schedule and they find that it is not beneficial to them.

“I do not like the new start time because it pushes my whole schedule back an hour. I get less sleep. Sports practices get out later, which means I have to stay up even later to get my homework done.” Olivia Couture (Senior)

“The later start time isn’t as bad as I thought it would be, but I would rather have the earlier start times. I go to bed much later than I did last year and only wake up a half hour later than I used to. I get less sleep, and because school gets out later, I have less time to do homework.” Jaryn Lafond (Freshman)

“I personally do not like the new start time because I have to take the bus in the morning and now we have to pick up the younger kids. This makes the bus ride even longer both in the morning and getting home from school. I have to wake up even earlier than last year to catch the bus and then I don’t get home until later so I have less time to do my homework. I stay up late doing homework at night, which means I get less sleep and then I have to wake up early to catch the bus.” Ryan Beaupre (Sophomore)

There are a lot of different opinions concerning the new school start time. Some students struggle with the change, while others benefit. The take away from the new school start time is that it depends on each student’s schedule and how they handle their time management skills.