Local Chapters >> Maryland
Start School Later Montgomery County!
Our Goal: Safe and healthy school start times for all Montgomery County Public Schools.
Want to learn how 2024 Board of Education candidates feel about school start times, before you vote, read here!
Sign our 2024 petition for healthier middle and high school start times!
The legacy petition presented to the MCPS Board of Education on December 11, 2012 is outdated, yet people kept signing it.
Please sign our new petition, even if you signed the legacy petition, so we can see how quickly we can exceed the number of signatures on the legacy petition and retire it
Please sign our new petition, even if you signed the legacy petition, so we can see how quickly we can exceed the number of signatures on the legacy petition and retire it
Who Are We?
Start School Later Montgomery County is committed to protecting the health and safety of public school students by advocating for reasonable school start times and working in a positive manner within the local community. Want to learn how 2024 and 2022 Board of Education candidates feel about school start times? Read here. SSL Chapters in Anne Arundel and Howard County have some great graphics and resources to share. |
Student Testimony To Montgomery County Legislative Delegation (November 13, 2023) |
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On January 11, 2023, the Chapter Leader for SSL Montgomery County testified on the Fiscal Year 2024 Operating Budget. She asked for funding for a transportation and bell time study , similar to what Anne Arundel and Howard Counties have done. Watch the video below.
2015 Start Time Changes
The Montgomery County Public Schools Bell Times Workgroup information that resulted in the current bell times that went into effect in 2015, can be found here. |
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SELECTED MEDIA COVERAGE/NEWS
2024:
2016:
2015:
2014:
2013:
2012:
- Griffen, Elia: Northwood High students walk out to protest MCPS plans for school move to Woodward. MoCo360, April 25, 2024. MCPS proposes a change to Northwood High School start time of 7:40 a.m. from the earlier proposal of 7:25 a.m.
- Griffen, Elia: Northwood High students, parents share frustration with proposed plans for pending move to Woodward High. MoCo360, April 11, 2024. Discusses plan to move high school start time 20 minutes earlier to 7:25 a.m.
- St. George, Donna: What time should schools open? The debate is exhausting. Washington Post, December 27, 2022.
- Parisi, Elena. Sleep deprivation affects both students and staff. The Tide-Student Newspaper at Richard Montgomery High School, Rockville. December 24, 2021.
- Kois, Dan, Why Does My Kid’s Online School Still Start at 7:50 in the Freaking Morning? Slate. September 3, 2020. Compares and contrasts MCPS virtual learning plan with Arlington, Virginia.
- August 4: MCPS publishes its Draft Recovery Plan for Fall 2020 schooling. All virtual schools start at 9:00 a.m. on August 31st.
- Holton Arms School institutes "Late Start Wednesdays" on September 11, 2019 for a 9am start. The new schedules was explained via email in April 2019.
- Fromm, Myka. Coaches must balance athletics and schoolwork .The Tide-Student Newspaper at Richard Montgomery High School, Rockville. October 25, 2018.
- Moriah Balingit. Pediatricians say teens should sleep in. Schools won't let them. Washington Post. August 23, 2017
- On April 27-28, former members of SSL MoCo attended the Adolescent Sleep, Health, and School Start Time Conference in Washington, D.C.
- Rodgers, Bethany. Superintendent Says MCPS Is Taking Another Look at School Start Times Following Complaints. Bethesda Magazine January 5, 2017.
- Montgomery County Public Schools’ Superintendent On 2017 Challenges Kojo Nnomdi Show. Conversation begins minute 11:00-15:15 January 5, 2017.
- Donna St. George Debate over school start times flares anew. Washington Post. January 1, 2017.
2016:
- Scott McFarlane. Teachers Union Proposes Changing Daily Schedule for Students in Montgomery County, MD. NBC Washington. September 8, 2016.
- Orange Ribbon Bill for Healthy School Hours (House Bill 39) was signed into law by Governor Hogan on April 26, 2016! This legislation is the first of its type across the U.S. supporting school districts implementing change. Here is our press release.
2015:
- Montgomery County approves new start times to be implemented in the 2015-2016 school year. February 10, 2015.
- Donna St. George. Montgomery school board pushed high school start times 20 minutes later. Washington Post. February 10, 2015
- Donna St. George and Bill Turque. Montgomery schools chief may face uphill battle on board. Washington Post. January 29, 2015.
- Lindsay A. Powers. Speakers appeal for later Montgomery school bell timesParents, doctors, educational staff describe effects from lack of sleep. Gazette.net. January 28, 2015.
- Parents voice overwhelming support for delaying high school start times. The Sentinel Newspaper. January 27, 2015.
- Michelle Basch. Montgomery County turns out in support of later school starts. WTOP. January 23, 2015.
- Donna St. George. Montgomery parents plead for later high school start times. Washington Post. January 23, 2015.
- Miranda Spivack. Parents, Medical Professionals Push for Later School Start Times in Montgomery County. Bethesda Magazine. January 23, 2015.
- Nick Ianelli. Debate over later class start times shifts to Montgomery County. WTOP. January 22, 2015.
- James Doubek. Montgomery Co. Considering Later School Starts. NBC4 Washington. January 21, 2015.
- Donna St. George. Changing school hours: Is 20 minutes later a good idea? Montgomery asks the public. Washington Post. January 20, 2015.
- Later school hours in Montgomery County are worth the cost Washington Post. Editorial Board.. January 9, 2015
- Andrew Metcalf. Start School Later Group: 20-Minute Later Start Time Recommendation is a 'Sham.' Bethesda Magazine. January 8, 2015.
- Montgomery County Public Schools: School Officials Considering Delaying School Start Time By 20 Minutes. Jobs & Hire. January 7, 2014.
- Montgomery County Considers Later School Start Times. CBSDC. January 7, 2015.
2014:
- Politicall candidates forum held at Garrett Park Town Hall on October 5, 2015. Get details here.
- Superintendent Recommends Not Moving Forward with Proposed Changes in Bell Times. on June 10, 2014. Here is our chapter's press statement in response: Press Statement on Superindentent Starr's Reversal of Support for Later School Start Times
2013:
- MCPS To Hold Community Forums On Later High School Start Time announced on October 18, 2013.
- We turned out in force for public comments at the Board of Education Meeting to support Superintendent Starr's recommendation for later high school start times. It didn't hurt to have another Washington Post Editorial supporting the plan on October 8, 2013.
- MCPS Superintendent Joshua Starr calls later school start times a matter of "public health and safety" and recommends pushing back high school start to 8:15 a.m. for 2015-16 on October 2, 2013.
2012:
- SSL presented the petition with over 10,000 names to Superintendent Joshua Starr and the Board of Education on December 11, 2012. That very day MCPS announced they would form a working group to examine the issue.
- Lisa Gartner. Montgomery parents push for later start time for high schools. Washington Examiner. October 17, 2012.