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Welcome to Start School Later Biddeford/Saco, ME!

Maine's first case study!

PictureClick to see Dr. Joan Pelletier's overview of the science that led the AAP, CDC, and dozens of medical organizations to recommend NO middle/high school start before 8:30AM
We are a coalition of Saco and Biddeford physicians, parents and educators advocating for healthier starting bells for our students. On April 30, 2016, we became the first schools in the state to comply with the 2014 American Academy of Pediatrics 8:30 AM recommended start time.
Prior to adopting healthy hours, our first bus pick up was 6:16 AM for 7:25 and 7:45 start times at Middle and High Schools.  Our schools employ pediatricians of record who oversee nursing staff and advise our board on public health policies. Knowing that sleep deprivation is directly linked to obesity, diabetes and emotional and behavioral health issues--including anxiety, depression and addiction--our school physicians led the charge to push back the school day to  positively impact physical and mental health, learning and performance, attendance, graduation rates and test scores.  
Our team partnered with school officials to educate, advocate and implement a plan that included:
  • Educating the public and staff about the impacts of sleep deprivation
  • Surveying parents about child care needs and partnering with local Park & Rec departments to deliver a low cost partnership and alternatives for families  (less than 8 percent of our population) who relied on older children to care for younger students after school
  • Implemented a flipped busing solution that resulted in NO INCREASE to the school budget, NO elementary school starting before 8:00 AM and no child waiting for a bus before civil daylight
  • Impacted less than 1 percent of high school athletic schedules and extracurricular activities​


Results:

Six months into our school year, early measurement benchmarks include:
  • An average 40% decrease in tardiness, a measurable decrease in student absenteeism
  • 40-50% reduction in early morning visits to  school nurses, fewer medications being administered and fewer students being sent home.
  • Increase in the percent of students eating breakfast at school
  • Staff report students are more alert in their classrooms
  • The majority (75%) of students surveyed report they are going to bed at a reasonable hour and getting over 8 hours of sleep.

"Sleep is a crucial cornerstone to the mental and physical health of our children and these early start times are a barrier to our children's ability to establish healthy sleep routines."
- Dr. Joanie Pelletier D.O.
Saco school physician consultant,  general pediatrician, and Saco Middle School parent 

Local News

Nine Hours of Sleep Can be a Game changer for our Teens. Saco physician Dr. Lucien Ouelette and 17 other sports medicine doctors say athletes will be the biggest winners in a later start time. ​
​Our View:  Portland Press Herald Editorial Board endorses late start for Maine Schools
Some Maine schools making start times a little later =Portland Press Herald, Sept. 13, 2015
10 Local Physicians Ask Saco School Board to Make Change At SMS Read the letter
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Website design made possible with a grant from the Rubinstein Family Foundation.

For Citations: A page on our website should be referenced as such:
Start School Later. (2022). Webpage Title. Retrieved [Month Day Year] from [URL]
e.g.,
Start School Later. (2022). What's the Big Deal? Retrieved January 3, 2022 from http://www.startschoollater.net/whats-the-big-deal.html
Start School Later, Inc. 
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Start School Later, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to healthy, safe, equitable school hours. 
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