Schools

Student School Board Reps Raise Early Start Concerns

Cherry Hill students haven't welcomed a 30-minute addition to the school day.

Calling it a double-edged sword, Cherry Hill’s two student school board representatives told their adult counterparts last week it’s been a tough transition to the longer school day’s earlier start.

Lydia George-Koku and Ryan Gallagher said there hasn’t been a lot of support from the student body at either Cherry Hill East or West, who they said have been left exhausted by the change, which went into effect at the start of the school year.

“The 30 minutes difference in opening times is no small change,” said George-Koku, who indicated she’s been talking with her fellow students about the move. “Sleep deprivation has been described as a serious problem.”

Find out what's happening in Cherry Hillwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Both Gallagher and George-Koku said it hasn’t just been students affected—teachers haven’t been as available, either.

“It’s increasing the class time at the expense of sleep time for some and morning one-on-one help time for others,” Gallagher said.

Find out what's happening in Cherry Hillwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

George-Koku cited similar concerns, and said freshmen at East have been particularly hard-hit by the earlier start time to the school day.

“Not only do they have to wake up much earlier, but they also have had trouble paying attention in classes and getting their homework done in time to go to bed at a reasonable time,” she said.

It also has parents raising concerns about kids waiting for buses in the dark in a few weeks, when Daylight Saving Time ends, George-Koku said.

The early start even has a ripple effect on after-school activities, the student representatives said, with the theater programs having to weigh the implications of rehearsal time—which frequently ends up going well into the evening—on students, George-Koku said.

While students are capable of adjusting to the new schedule, George-Koku quoted one of her classmates, who told her, “the cost is too much and our health is too much to gamble.”

The decision to move up the start of the day, which came about in negotiations with the Cherry Hill Education Association’s new contract last year, has caused some controversy since it was first announced last fall.

School board members and administrators have said they weighed all the potential benefits and challenges posed by the change, and administrators have defended it by noting other nearby districts start at 7:30 or earlier.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here