Letters to the Editor
It’s Time for a Later Starting Time for Darien High School
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To the editor:
On Tuesday, April 9, the Board of Education will have a preliminary discussion of a healthy school start time. The reality is that the 7:40 a.m. DHS start time trails the national average of 8:04 a.m., as well as our peers in Greenwich, New Canaan, Westport, and Wilton, among others. These towns saw the science and took action to prioritize the health and well-being of their teens, some as many as 20 years ago. The 2023 Thriving Youth Darien survey highlights a significant need: 1 in 4 Darien high schoolers and 1 in 5 middle schoolers reported persistent sadness, hopelessness, and anxiety. A healthy school start time is a policy change that can help impact these sobering statistics – and offer other compelling benefits to our youth.