Tulsa school start time debate continues

The Tulsa School Board will reconsider its controversial decision to switch school start times at a special meeting Thursday. <br/><br/>The board voted two weeks ago to start elementary schools at 8 AM

Wednesday, August 3rd 2005, 10:41 am

By: News On 6

The Tulsa School Board will reconsider its controversial decision to switch school start times at a special meeting Thursday.

The board voted two weeks ago to start elementary schools at 8 AM and middle and high schools at 8:45 AM. The schedule swap outraged some Tulsa parents and hundreds signed a petition to get the schedules changed back.Tulsa Public Schools says one of the major reasons for the switch is new research that they say proves teenagers need to come to school later.

A Tulsa sleep expert says teenagers biological clocks are set later. So they go to sleep later and get up later. Dr Kevin Lewis with the Sleep Center of Tulsa: "having the elementary kids being the earlier time and having the middle and high school students being the later time is sound biologically and medically." Doctor Lewis says schools in both Minneapolis and Michigan have seen a boost in test scores, since switching school start times.

The school board will vote on whether to postpone the schools start time change until next year at a special meeting Thursday at 5:30 PM.

If you would like more information on what sleep experts have to say about school start times. You can check out this link.