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Local Chapters >> Maryland>>Anne Arundel County

Start School Later Anne Arundel County

Our Goal: Safe, healthy, and age-appropriate school hours for all students ​in Anne Arundel County Public Schools​.
August 29, 2022:  First day of new school start times!
Most Elementary Schools start at 8:00a.m.
Middle Schools at 9:15 a.m.
High School at 8:30 a.m.
​Specialty schools start at 8:30 or 9:15 a.m.


Board of Education's process leading up to new school hours:

June 24, 2022:  Last day of too-early high school start times and too-late elementary start times!
June 16, 2022: Anne Arundel County Public School releases final 2022-2023 bell times.  
June 3, 2022:  Anne Arundel County Public Schools releases an updated website which includes 10 videos in support of school start times (7 District specific, magnet schools, specialty schools, and Student Member of the Board videos).  
February 3, 2022:  Anne Arundel County Public Schools releases proposed bell times for individual schools and a new website for information.

October 20, 2021:  The Board of Education Unanimously agrees to implement Prismatic Services Inc's new bus routes and school start times in the 2022-2023 school year.  Elementary School will start between 8-9 a.m., Middle School will start at 9:15 a.m., and High School will start at 8:30 a.m.
August 18, 2021: The Board of Education receives a second update from Prismatic Services regarding new bus routes. ​Routing anticipated to be complete by October 2021.
​June 2, 2021:  The Board of Education receives an update from Prismatic Services that the start time parameters from January 2021 are achievable based on current bus routes.  The Board approves Phase 2 of Prismatic's contract to develop completely new school bus routes. 
January 20, 2021: The Board voted 7-1 on a motion asking AACPS to develop a plan by April 2023 for school hours implementation no later than second semester of the 2021-2022 school year, with the goals of Elementary school starting between 8-9 a.m., Middle Schools starting between 8:30 to 9:15 a.m., and High Schools at 8:30 a.m. 
 
December 2020:  The Board of Education hosts a Virtual School Start and Dismissal Time Workshop (watch here) and accepts virtual public comment (watch here).
August 12, 2020: 
 AACPS publishes its Fall 2020 Virtual School Hours. All students in Grades 3 through 12 will start at 8:30 a.m., while Prekindergarten through 2nd Grade will start at 9:00 a.m.
March 10, 2020:  Board of Education and transportation consultant conducted a​ workshop on the transportation report (Listen to Audio/Review Powerpoint) .
January 8, 2020:  The transportation report is released to the public. 179 Pages and 27 Recommendations.  Recommendation #27 relates to bell times.  This is from the contract approved on July 10, 2019.
“ I remember waking up before the sun rose in the morning, walking to my bus stop in pitch blackness, and walking into first period, quite frankly, half asleep….I wish this change was made before my end of time at AACPS, but I am so glad I was part of making our students lives better….change should be embraced, not rejected, especially when it is in the interest of our students’ health.”
​- Bunmi Omisore Student Member of the Anne Arundel Board of Education 2021-2022

April 2022:  AACPS unveils a new video about school start times.  
 ​

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PAST AND PRESENT:  Learn about the decades of history of school times in Anne Arundel County and watch testimony from students.
 Read
​​
RESOURCES: Download fliers, stats, facts and more. Visit


ELECTIONS: How do candidates for County Executive, County Council, and Board of Education feel about school hours? Read  ​
A Bit of History....with more specifics below

For over two decades, ending with the 2017-2018 school year, Anne Arundel County's 12 public high schools began at 7:17 a.m., which was the earliest high school start time in Maryland, and one of the earliest in the nation. Students in our county needed to be at bus stops in the 6 a.m. hour.
It hasn't always been this way. Until the mid 1970s, the start time for most schools in our county and elsewhere was well after 8 a.m. Local parents have been working to change our predawn school day starts since the late 1990s (see here for a detailed list of all changes of start times over the past few decades).

Data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey for Anne Arundel shows that in 2014,  a mere 21.4% of high school students were achieving 8 hours of sleep on a school night, down from 59.3% of middle school students.  In 2018, after the small delay in start times, in contrast to the decrease in percentage of students self-reporting 8 hours of sleep in the rest of Maryland, Anne Arundel's percentage remained unchanged at 21.4% of high school students.  Anne Arundel registered the smallest decrease of any Maryland school system in the percent of middle school students reporting 8 hours of sleep at 57.8%.  The only Maryland school system to have increased the percent of students sleeping 8 hours was Montgomery County, which delayed high schools by 20 minutes in 2015-2016 school year.  

THE LATEST NEWS: We post detailed updates on our Facebook page and news articles/research from around the world. The following news articles are some recent local highlights of our efforts. A multi-decade history of start times in Anne Arundel County is available to read.
January 2025
  • January 14:  Anne Arundel County's Superintendent Bedell is quoted in discussion of bell times in Fairfax County in a 4 Public Education blog post.
February 2024
  • February 26:  Anne Arundel County's change in school start times is highlighted discussion of new bell times in Fairfax County in the Tysons Reporter.  
August 2023
  • August 15:  Education Week highlights Anne Arundel County's changes in school start times.
March 2023
  • March 16:  The Baltimore Examiner reviews school start times across the state in light of changes by Anne Arundel and Howard Counties.  
January 2023
  • January 30:  The Baltimore Sun highlights Anne Arundel County's change in start times and lessons learned for Howard County.
December 2022
  • December 27:  The Washington Post highlights Anne Arundel County's change in start times alongside Howard County's upcoming efforts to change bell times.
September 2022
  • September 4:  The first week of school ended with several news articles and a letter to the editor about school bus overcrowding and bus driver shortage.  Capital Gazette and here, WJZ, Fox 45 and here, 
August 2022
  • August 29:  Capital Gazette discusses changes for the 2022-2023 school year. 
  • August 23:  Capital Gazette discusses changes to AACPS transportation.  
  • August 1: Baltimore Sun puplishes a letter to the editor opposing start time implementation, which will occur on August 29th.
July 2022
  • July 29:  WMAR2 discusses upcoming school hours vs driver shortage.  
  • July 27: The Capital Gazette discusses a letter in May from County Executive Pittman calling for start times imlementation to be delayed.  
June 2022
  • June 24:  Last day for AACPS to have too-early high school and too-late elementary school start times! WBALTV-11 reported on the upcoming changes.  
  • June 17:  The Board of Education discussed before and after school activities, as described by the Capital Gazette.  Final school hours for 2022-2023 released.  
  • June 11: The Capital Gazette discusses cancelling before school activities at elementary and middle schools as a result in change of start times. 
  • June 8: An article in Chesapeake Family offers logistics suggests for families.  
  • June 5: Letters to the Editor published by the Capital Gazette.
  • June 3: AACPS releases an updated website and 10 videos about upcoming changes to school start times.
  • June 1: The County Council votes 5-2 on Resolution 12-22 asking the Board of Education to delay implementation of school hours, as described in the Capital Gazette.
May 2022:
  • May 13 and May 15: WBAL and Capital Gazette, respectively discuss AACPS's transportation opt-in system. 
  • May 9: SSL AACO testifies on AACPS's Fiscal Year 2023 budget regarding transportation before County Council. 
  • May 7: An op-ed by a Board of Education member explaining the changes in school hours is published by the Capital Gazette.
April 2022:
  • April 26:  The Capital Gazette discusses school bus transportation, budget, driver shortages, and new school start times.
  • April 6:  SSL AACO testifies on student transportation and school start time outreach.  AACPS releases a video about the upcoming changes.
February 2022
  • February 4:  Following the release of draft bell schedules for all schools and a new website, Fox News Baltimore interviewed SSL AACO for its report.
  • February 2: The Board receives an update on start and dismissal times for the 2022-2023 school year , as described in the Capital. 
January 2022
  • January 6: SSL AACO testifies on the Fiscal Year 2023 budget regarding transportation before Board of Education.
December 2021
  • December 2:  Superintendent George Arlotto announces that he is departing in June 2022. In a press release, the Board includes school start times as a priority for the new Superintendent.
October 2021
  • October 20:  The Board of Education Unanimously agrees to implement Prismatic Services Inc's new bus routes and school start times in the 2022-2023 school year.  Elementary School will start between 8-9 a.m., Middle School will start at 9:15 a.m., and High School will start at 8:30 a.m.  SSL AACO testified at the meeting.  The decision was covered by The Capital, Fox News Baltimore, WTOP, The Patch, Bay Weekly, and Severna Park Voice. 
  • On October 5, SSL AACO testified about transportation before the Board of Education.
September 2021
  • On September 17, an Op-Ed about transportation debacle was published by the Capital.
August 2021
  • On August 28th, the Capital discussed the potential delay of implementing new start times.  
  • On August 18th, SSL AACO testified  before the Board of Education regarding transportation and start times, before Prismatic Service's update.
  • On August 15th, the Capital published a letter to the editor on school start times.  
June 2021
  • On June 2, SSL AACO testified  before the Board of Education regarding transportation and start times, before Prismatic Service's update.  
May 2021
  • On March 24, SSL AACO testified in the Listening tour for goals for 2021-2022 school year (last speaker at 39:55).
March 2021
  • On March 16th,  the Capital published a letter to the editor on transportation.
  • On March 10th, AACPS submitted written testimony in opposition to permanent Daylight Savings Time and its strongest written endorsement of improving school hours.  
January 2021
  • On January 20th, the Board voted 7-1 on a motion asking AACPS to develop a plan for school hours to be implemented in 2021-2022 school year, with the goals of Elementary School 8-9 a.m., Middle School 8:30-9:15 a.m., and High School 8:30 a.m. The Capital summarized the meeting.  Supporters provided both written and oral testimony (watch testimony here 43:00-1:05:30 and the Board's discussion 2:08 - 4:42).
  • ​On January 4th, the Capital published a guest column about transportation.  
December 2020
  • On December 21st, AACPS held a hearing on school start times. (watch here )
  • On December 14th, AACPS held a school start time workshop. (watch  here)
  • On December 2nd, SSL AACO members testified via Zoom (watch here 1:18:25-1:22:02) and  submitted written testimony about transportation (page 2).  
November 2020
  • On November 30th, SSL AACO testified via Zoom about the report of the Joint Initiative to Eliminate the Opportunity Gap.  Listen here ( 26:25-29:15).  
  • On November 4th, SSL AACO submitted written testimony about hybrid transportation (page 2).
  • On November 3rd, Districts 2, 3, and 6 elected Board of Education members.  
  • On November 1st, the Capital Gazettte published an article about the upcoming Board of Education election, including a reference to hybrid school start times by a candidate.  
October 2020  
  • On October 28th, SSL AACO testified via Zoom during a hearing about hybrid elementary school plan, focusing on late elementary start times.  Listen here (3:13:10-3:15:25).
  • On October 21st, SSL AACO submitted written testimony about late starting elementary schools (page 28-29).
  • On October 10th, Capital Gazette published an article about the Mental Health Task Force Report.
  • On October 5th, SSL AACO submitted written testimony on the Mental Health Task Force Report (page 60) and transportation (page 61). 
  • On October 5th, SSL AACO submitted written testimony on the hybrid reopening plan (page 116-117).
September 2020
  • On September 16th, SSL AACO submitted written testimony to the BOE on transportation facilities and school start times.  (pages 2 and 3).
  • On September 8, virtual school started at 8:30 a.m. for Grades 3 through 12 and 9:00 a.m. for Prekindergarten through Grade 2.
August 2020
  • On August 23rd, Capital Gazette published a letter to the editor on virtual school hours.
  • On August 12th, AACPS released its Fall 2020 Virtual School Hours.   All students in Grades 3 - 12 will start at 8:30 a.m.  All students in Prekindergarten - Grade 2 will start at 9:00 a.m.  The Capital Gazette published an article about the new school hours.  
July 2020
  • On July 9th, the Capital Editorial Board discussed the transportation and mental health issue
  • On July 8th, an Op-Ed in the Capital Gazette further summarizes the debate on Resolution 28-20.  SSL AACO submitted written testimony (pg 11)  for the virtual BoE meeting regarding transportation. 
  • On July 6th, the County Council discussed Resolution #27-20 and #28-20 to address transportation funding, as described in the Capital Gazette.  In a 4-3 vote, the County Council approves Resolution #28-20 to stop the movement of funding from transportation to mental health staff.   Resolution #27-20 urging the BOE to make both transportation and mental health a priority failed 3-4.  
  • On July 5th, an op-ed about transportation funding was published in the Capital Gazette.
June 2020
  • On June 27th, an op-ed about transportation funding was published in the Capital Gazette.
  • On June 24th, a letter to the editor was published in the Capital Gazette in support of transportation.  
  • On June 17th , SSL AACO submitted written testimony (page 2) for the virtual BOE meeting. on the FY 21 Operating Budget.  The BOE voted to move funding for 7 transportation positions to mental health professioinals.  
  • June 12th, The County Council amends the budget to retore the 7 transportation positions
  • On June 3rd, SSL AACO submitted written testimony (page 33) for the virtual BoE meeting regarding transportation.
  • On June 2nd, Primary election held.
May 2020
  • ​On Mary 20th, SSL AACO's written testimony was read into the record of the County Council FY 2021 public budget hearing.  
March 2020
  • On March 10th, SSL AACo attended AACPS's transportation workshop.  Listen to the audio here, See the presentation here.  
  • On March 4rd, SSL AACO testified at the Board of Education meeting on transportation.
February 2020
  • On February 16th, SSL AACO presented at the Annapolis High School PTSA meeting.  
  • On February 10th, SSL AACO presented at the Community Advisory Committee.
  • On February 6th, SSL AACO attended the community meeting of the Joint Initiative to Eliminate the Opportunity Gap.
  • On February 5th, SSL AACO  testified at the Board of Education meeting on transportation.
  • On February 4th, a column by a Board of Education member was published in the Severna Park Voice in support of transportation improvements.

January 2020
  • ​On January 30th, a letter to the editor was published in the Capital Gazette.  
  • On January 27th, WTOP summarized the January 22nd BOE meeting.  Three Board of Education candidates from District 6 (Annapolis) jointly wrote a letter to the editor in the Capital Gazette.   SSL AACO  presented to the Anne Arundel Connecting Together (ACT) Education subcommittee. 
  • On January 26th, a guest column was published in the Capital Gazette.  
  • On January 24th, the Capital Gazette discussed school start times in their editorial. 
  • On January 22nd, WMAL DC interviewed the SSL AACO chapter leader about the upcoming Board of Education meeting and transportation report.  (3:04:05-3:04:48).  The Capital Gazette published a story about the 23 supporters who spoke in favor of school start times (with more in audience) at the BOE meeting.  
  • On January 20th, the Capital Gazette published an article about school start times in the transportation report.  
  • On January 16th, a letter to the editor of the Severna Park Voice published.  
  • On January 14th, a blog post published on Chesapeake Family Magazine in support of healthy hours.
  • On January 11th, the Capital Gazette publishes an article about the transportation report.  
  • On January 9th, SSL AACO testified at the BOE budget hearing and the District 6 town hall.  
  • On January 8th, The transportation report was released to the public.  179 pages and 27 recommendations.  Recommendation #27 relates to bell times. Earlier in the day, SSL AACO had testified at the Board of Education meeting.  ​
  • On January 6th, SSL AACO spoke at the Women Indivisible Strong Effective (WISE) meeting in Severna Park.  
December 2019
  • On December 19th, the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force issued is Final Preliminary Report, which included a reference to student mental health, risky behaviors, and school start times.  
  • On December 18th, Dr. Amy Wolfson (Loyola University) joined SSL AACO in testifying before the Board of Education.
  • On December 4th, SSL AACO testified before the Board of Education.
November 2019
  • On November 20th, SSL AACO testified before the Board of Education.
  • On November 13th, a letter to the editor was published in the Capital Gazette about bus arrivals.  
  • On November 8th,  the Capital Gazette wrote an editorial about the busing and the audit. 
  • On November 6th, SSL AACO testified regarding the latest Maryland Office of Legislative Audit report, and arrival times for high schools.  The Capital Gazette reported on the OLA audit 
September 2019​
  • On September 29th, the Capital Gazette published a letter to the editor about the achievement gap.  
  • On September 23rd, SSL AACO attended the Joint Initiative to Eliminate the Achievement Gap.
  • On September 19th, SSL AACO spoke at the Public Health Town Hall.
  • On September 13th, SSL AACO attended the first meeting of the AACPS Mental Health Task Force.  
  • On September 11th, SSL AACO testified before the Board of Education regarding school bus transportation.
  • On September 1st, the Capital Gazette's editorial mentions start times, mental health, and 2020 BOE elections as issues to watch.  
August 2019
  • On August 28th, The Capital Gazette's editorial mentions school start times and school bus transportation. 
  • On August 21, SSL AACO and members of the community testified about school hours and transportation.  The meeting was covered by the Capital Gazette.  
  • On August 14th, Board of Education member Dana Schallheim explained her reasoning for age-appropriate school hours in the Severna Park Voice.  
July 2019
  • On July 10th, the AACPS presented plans for a Mental Health Task Force to be held during the 2019-2020 school year.  SSL AACO testified on the connection between sleep deprivation and mental health.  WBAL-TV covered the meeting and interviewed SSL AACO. The BOE also approved a contract with Prismatic Services to evaluate school transportation routing, logistics, and bell times.  The Captial Gazette reported on the meeting.  
June 2019
  • On June 23, SSL AACO testfied before the Board of Education about summer school hours and transportation consultants. 
May 2019
  • SSL founder and Anne Arundel County reisdent Dr. Terra Ziporyn Snider profiled in What's Up? Annapolis Towne Salute.
April 2019
  • On April 26th and 28th Letters to the Editor on school start times and mental health were published by the Capital.  
  • On April 3, SSL AACO testified before the Board of Education about transportation.
  • On April 9, a Letter to the Editor was published by the Capital.
March 2019
  • On March 6, SSL AACO testified before the Board of Education about transportation.
  • On March 12, Chesapeake Family posted a blog about AACPS school bus transportation and school hours.  
  • On March 20, SSL AACO testified before the Board of Education about transportation.
​February 2019
  • On February 6, SSL AACO testified before the Board of Education about transportation.  BOE tasks AACPS with hiriing outside help in the Spring using current Fsical year monies, to improve transportation system with goal of 1) moving late starting elementary schools earlier as soon as possible and 2) Developing bell time scenarios and cost estimates for later hgih school start times  
January 2019
  • On January 7, SSL AACO testified before the Board of Education about early bus arrivals at high schools.
  • On January 8, SSL AACO testified during the budget hearing regarding transportation.
December 2018
  • On December 5, SSL AACO testified before the Board of Education about school bus transportation.
October 2018
  • On October 25, SSL AACO testifed before the Board of Education about safe and healthy school hours for all students.  
  • On October 10, SSL AACO testified before the Board of Education about bus routes and student safety.
September 2018
  • On September 19, the Capital reported on the routing software, followed by an editorial on the subject. 
  • On September 13, a letter to the editor was published in the Capital.
  • On September 12, SSL AACO testified before the Board of Education about bus routes and smartphone apps.
August 2018
  • On August 22, SSL AACO testified before the Board of Education about bus rotues.
July 2018
  • SSL AACO met with election candidates.
June 2018
  • On June 26, the first non-partisan Primary election held for four seats on the Board of Education (Districts 1, 4, 5, and 7) in Anne Arundel County.
May 2018
  • SSL AACO met with election candidates.
​April 2018
  • On April 18, SSL AACP testified before the Board of Education.
  • SSL AACO met with election candidates.
March 2018
  • SSL AACO met with election candidates.
  • On March 7, SSL AACO testified before the Board of Education.
  • On March 3, the Captial published a guest column about AACPS's leadership and budget priorities.  
February 2018
  • SSL AACO testified before the County Council (February 5th), Board of Education (February 7th and 21st), and Anne Arundel County Delegation (February 23rd).
January 2018
  • On January 3, a letter to the editor was published by the Capital.
December 2017
  • On December 20, SSL AACO testified before the Board of Education.
November 2017
  • On November 22, a letter to the editor was published by the Capital.
  • On November 8, the Capital published a guest column about SSL AACo's new petition.
October 2017
  • On October 18, SSL AACO testified before the Board of Education.
September 2017
  • On September 27, the BeeIndee3 blog published some correspondence by SSL AACO in response to his editorial in the Capital.
  • On September 5, new school hours were implemented.  A 13 minute delay for high schools to 7:30 a.m. and a 15 minute delay for most other schools.
August 2017
  • On August 23, SSL AACO testified before the Board of Education.
  • On August 16, a guest column was published by the Capital.
June 2017
  • ​On June 21, SSL AACO testified before the Board of Educaiton.
May 2017
  • On May 11, a letter to the editor was published by the Capital.
  • On May 3, SSL AACO testified before the Board of Education.
April 2017
  • On April 27-28, SSL AACo attended the Adolescent Sleep, Health, and School Start Time Conference in Washington, D.C.  All of the members of the Anne Arundel County Board of Education and Superintendent Arlotto were invited well in advance and a SSL supporter even offered to pay for their attendance, but none attended.
  • On April 13, a letter to the editor was published by the Capital.​
  • ​On April 5, SSL AACo testified before the Board of Education.
March 2017
  • On March 18, the Capital wrote a supportive editorial encouraging AACPS to make visible progress on its transportation software, following a story on March 16 about Board Member Maria Sasso's efforts to seek outside assistance.
  • On March 13, a letter to the editor was published by the Capital.
  • On March 12, a letter to the editor was published by the Capital.
  • On March 1, SSL AACO testified before the Board of Education.
February 2017
  • On February 15, 8 supporters were prepared to testify in favor of Maria Sassos' proposed amendment.  When the rest of the board declined to second her motion, the supporters were unable to testfiy. Please read our Press Release.
  • On February 15, a letter to the editor was published by the Capital.  
  • On February 5, a letter to the editor was published by the Capital.
  • ​On February 1, SSL AACO testified before the Board of Education.
January 2017
  • On January 30, a letter to the editor was published by the Capital.
  • On January 18, SSL AACO testified before the Board of Education.
  • On January 14, a letter to the editor was published by the Capital.
  • On January 10 and 12, SSL AACO supporters testified before the Board of Education at the FY18 budget hearings.
  • On January 3, SSL AACO testified before the County Council.
December 2016
  • On December 30, a guest column was published by the Capital.
  • On December 28, a letter to the editor was published by the Capital.
  • On December 21, Superintendent Arlotto presents his Fiscal Year 2018 budget, with no funding for safer and healthy school hours.  SSL AACo testified before the Board of Education.  Eye on Annapolis and the Annapolis/Edgewater/Severna Park Patch published our press release 
  • On December 14, a letter to the editor was published in the Capital.
  • On December 12, a letter to the editor was published in the Capital.
  • On December 7, SSL AACO testified before the Board of Education.​
November 2016
  • On November 16, SSL AACO testified before the Board of Education and attended Bates Middle School PTA meeting to provide an update on schools tart tiems..
  • On November 2, SSL AACO testified before the Board of Education and gave a presentation to Meade High School's Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) chapter on drowsy driving. ​
October 2016
  • On October 20th, a letter to the editor was published by the Capital.
  • On October 19th, SSL AACO testified before the Board of Education.
  • On October 3, a Guest Column was published in the Capital.
September 2016
  • On September 21, the Board of Education voted to shift start times 13 minutes for 2017-2018!!!!  Read our Press Release.  Read about it/watch it: Capital, The Patch, WBAL-TV, ABC2, WJZ-CBS  Read the Capital's Editorial Board support.
  • On September 18, a letter to the editor was published by the Capital Gazette.
August 2016
  • On August 31, the Wall Street Journal featured an Annapolis High School student (or try this version if you are not a subscriber).  
  • On August 22, the new school year started.  WBAL covered the first day of school.  
  • On August 18, a Guest Column was published by the Capital.
  • On August 14, a letter to the editor was published by the Capital Gazette.
June 2016
  • On June 22, SSL AACO testified at the Board of Education meeting when the Fiscal Year 2017 budget was adopted.
  • On June 15, the County Council struck the Fiscal Year 2017 budget.  Included was $602,000 for healthy and safer school hours.  Read our press release.  
  • ​On June 3, a letter to the editor was published by the Capital.
  • On June 2, SSL AACO met with the County Executive's Office to discuss the role of start times, teen sleep deprivation, and substance abuse.
  • On June 1, SSL AACO presented to the adult chapter leaders of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) about drowsy driving, teen sleep deprivation, and the role of start times.
May 2016
  • On May 9 and 12, SSL AACO testifies before the County Council on the budget the Fiscal Year 2017 budget (Go to 2:43:00 on the May 12th's video to see the first of three students in a row seeking funding for healthier and safer school hours.)
  • On May 4, SSL AACO testifies at the Board of Education meeting.
April 2016
  • Governor Hogan signs the Orange Ribbon Bill into law. SSL AACo attends the bill signing.
  • On April 20, SSL AACo testifies at the Board of Education meeting. We are also interviewed by WBAL prior to the meeting and release of new start time proposal.
  • On April 11, SSL AACo witnesses the Maryland Senate vote on the Orange Ribbon Bill, which had previously passed the House of Delegates.
  • On April 6, SSL AACo testified at the Board of Education meeting.
March 2016
  • On March 25, SSL AACo and SSL Howard County meet with a representative in Gov. Larry Hogan's policy office. 
February 2016
  • On February 25,  a letter to the editor is published in the Capital.
  • On February 22, Anne Arundel County is included in Time Magazine's article "Why schools are struggling to let students sleep in."
  • On February 17, the Board of Education votes 7-2 to include $1.4 million in the Fiscal Year 2017 budget for later start times for the 2017-2018 school year.  Using transportation software and critical thought will define how much of a shift in start times this money, combined with $602,000 previously allocated, will achieve. We issue a press release on February 19.
  • A guest column in the Capital is published on February 16 listing the community benefits of safer and healthier school hours.
  • Online survey results are published by AACPS on February 16.
  • A Letter to the Editor is published in the Capital.
  • SSL AACo attends the AACPS Start/Dismissal Time forums on February 2, 4 and 8.  We re-present our petition for healthy and safe hours to the Board of Education on February 3.
January 2016
  • SSL AACo testifies before the Maryland General Assembly Ways and Means Committee on the Orange Ribbon Bill for Healthy School Hours bill on January 28 and before the Senate Education, Health, and Environment committee on February 3.
  • SSL AACo attends the budget workshop on January 19 and and testifies on January 20 at the Board of Education meeting.
  • SSL AACo issues a press release in response to Superintendent Arlotto's proposed school start time changes for 2017-18 announced on January 12.  We are interviewed by WMAR ABC2 News Baltimore for reactions to the proposal.
  • We meet with Superintendent Arlotto on January 15 and Bob Mosier, AACPS spokesperson, on January 11.
  • A local opinion editorial is published by the Washington Post on January 8.
  • SSL AACo testifies at the January 5 and 7 Budget Hearings and the January 6 Board of Education Meeting.
  • A guest column is published in the Capital  on January 1.
December 2015
  • SSL AACo issues a press release in response to the proposed FY 17 budget.  We are interviewed by WBALTV.
  • SSL AACo testifies at the Board of Education meeting on December 16. Superintendent Arlotto includes Task Force Option A, to be implemented in August 2017, in his proposed FY17 budget. (Note: The proposal ultimately presented is an adaptation of Option A, not the original Option A.)
  • A Letter to the Editor is published on December 30th in the Bay Weekly.
November 2015
  • SSL AACo testifies at the Board of Education's meeting on November 18t.
  • A Letter to the Editor is published in the Capital. 
  • SSL AACO testifies at the Board of Education's meeting on November 4.
October 2015
  • SSL AACo attends the Board of Education meeting on October 21. Thirteen audience members speak in favor of moving middle and high school start times later. The two best speakers are a high school freshman and her mother.  Watch them here.
  • SSL AACo attends the Board of Education's Workshop on Start Times on October 20. Fairfax and Montgomery counties present about their change in school times. You can watch it here.
  • A Letter to the Editor is published on October 13 in the Capital.
September 2015
  • A Letter to the Editor is published on September 4 in the Baltimore Sun in response to this article.
  • A Letter to the Editor is published on September 3 in the Bay Weekly.
August 2015
  • A Letter to the Editor is published on August 28 in the Capital.
  • SSL AACo testifies at the Board of Education meeting on August 19.
  • SSL AACo meets with Superintendent Arlotto on August 17.
June 2015
  • A Letter to the Editor is published on June 25 in the Capital .
December 2014​
  • A Letter to the Editor is published on December 15 in the Capital.
November 2014
  • A letter to the Editor is published on November 2 in the Capital.
November 2013
  • The Baltimore Sun published an article about testimony before the Board of Education on school start times on November 21.
August 2013
  • The Washington Post published an article about Secretary of Education Arne Duncan's tweet on start times and quotes Anne Arundel County SSL leader.  
March 2013
  • The Baltimore Sun published an article about proposed state study of school hours that includes a discussion of Anne Arundel County, on March 10.  
March 2012
  • The Capital supports Start School Later with an editorial published on March 15th.

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