Edmonds parents speak out against earlier start times for elementary schoolers

EVERETT — Edmonds School District parents have raised concerns about start time changes for next school year that will impact most of the district’s elementary schools.

Twelve of the district’s 20 elementary schools will move from an 8:45 a.m. start time to 7:20 a.m. Dismissal times will change from 3:15 p.m. to 1:50 p.m. The district announced the change June 2.

At a school board meeting Tuesday, parents said they worried the new start times would impact students’ sleep and make after-school child care more expensive.

Two years ago, a district task force began looking at start time changes — specifically moving high school start times later. The high schools currently start at 7:20 a.m. and would move to 8:05 a.m. under the new model. Multiple scientific studies have shown that early start times for adolescents can negatively impact health and well-being. In 2018, researchers at the University of Washington found that moving start times in Seattle high schools from 7:50 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. resulted in more sleep, higher grades and less tardiness and absences for students.

https://www.heraldnet.com/2026/06/12/edmonds-parents-speak-out-against-earlier-start-times-for-elementary-schoolers/