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1. Later Start Time Elementary School Parent Survey

The Amherst Regional School District's Later Start Times Task Force is evaluating potential options for implementing a later morning start time for middle and high school students. Research clearly shows that such a change would benefit teens, whose sleep cycles shift around the time they enter 7th grade (a link to the research summary is available at http://www.arps.org/node/2849). The Task Force's role is to provide information about start time options to the Superintendent. Any recommendation for a schedule change would be made by the Superintendent for action by the School Committees. Because of shared buses, proposals to change the secondary schools' start times would also change elementary school schedules.

The following three options are being considered:

Option 1: Keep the current schedule for all schools.
Option 2: Start the elementary school day one hour earlier.
Option 3: Start the elementary school day one half-hour later.

Your input is an important component in the Task Forces' research and we appreciate you answering the questions below.

Question Title

* 1. How would each of these options under consideration affect your family/work schedule:

  Very Positive Somewhat Positive Neutral/No Opinion Somewhat Negative Strongly Negative
Option 2 (Start the elementary school day one hour earlier)
Option 3 (Start the elementary school day one half-hour later)

Question Title

* 2. In what areas,if any, would each option under consideration negatively affect your schedule?

  Parents' Work Child Care Before School Child Care After School After-School Activities
Option 2 (Start the elementary school day one hour earlier)
Option 3 (Start the elementary school day one half-hour later)

Question Title

* 3. If the secondary schools started one half-hour later and extended early drop-off times were available at the elementary schools, how often would you be likely to utilize them?

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* 4. What is your child(ren)'s current grade level?

Question Title

* 5. If you currently have a 6th grader, does he or she have more
difficulty waking up and getting ready for school this year than last year?

Question Title

* 6. Over the course of your child's PreK-12 career, what affect would you expect from a schedule change with later start times in middle and high school?

  Very Positive Somewhat Positive Neutral/ No Opinion Somewhat Negative Very Negative
Option 2 (Elementary day starts one hour earlier and secondary day starts one hour later)
Option 3 (Elementary day starts one half-hour later and secondary day starts one half-hour later)

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* 7. What school does your child attend? If your children attend
different elementary schools, you may select mulitple locations.

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