Mrs. Aderholt:
Here we are, six years after you first mentioned the topic of start times for high school students, and, well, that’s all we’re still doing is talking about it.
Sure, the coronavirus pandemic took over the world beginning in March 2020 and the children in Ohio County were not allowed to return consistently to classrooms in for more than a year after, so that delayed the discussion, but the point remains the same.
Scientific studies have revealed what we believed when we were teenagers – high school kids need more rest than what the current start time allows. That’s why, once it made sense to resurrect the conversation, you sure did, and you’ve never been shy to share one related article after another. As a mother of three children, you’ve told your own tales about tough mornings and the effects of sleep deprivation.
Fellow Board of Education member David Croft is convinced that later starting times at Wheeling Park High would be beneficial for the county’s high school students, and the entire BOE has twice voted unanimously to continue the investigation. The proposal has attracted both positive and negative opinions, and the majority of those who have rejected the idea have warned about the expense involved with the new buses and new drivers that would be needed if the school day’s first class was pushed back by an hour.
We don’t know what the right answer is for Ohio County, Mrs. Aderholt, especially now that the school district will receive millions less in adjusted property tax revenue, but we do appreciate that you, Croft, Andy Garber, Anne Hercules, and Bernie Albertini continue to research what’s best and what’s not for the students, their parents, the drivers, the staff and faculty, and for the taxpayer.
That is the oath you took, after all, and it’s satisfying to see it taken seriously.
Sincerely,
Snooze You Lose
