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The Dunne Dispatch (School Start Times) - 09/25/2025
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I am writing to share with you an important update about school start times. FCPS is seeking to adjust the start times for middle schools to enable students to get more sleep. However, changing start times for middle schools requires corresponding changes to the start times for elementary schools and high schools.
On September 18, 2025 I attended a school boundary community meeting at West Potomac HS. I was surprised when FCPS presented two options for new school start times for elementary, middle, and high schools. FCPS had presented multiple options to the School Board last year, but the School Board did not approve any particular option. Moreover, the options were based on the current school boundaries, so FCPS will need to reassess these options once the School Board approves new school boundaries in January 2026.
I know many families and staff are concerned about the potential change in school start times, so I prepared the following newsletter to provide background information on the current debate. I will continue to keep you informed as the debate evolves.
Background
FCPS has a long history of studying and adjusting school start times to provide students with a later start time that allows for more sleep. Numerous studies show that poor or insufficient sleep has a negative effect on adolescents’ physical and mental health, academic success, and safety.
In 2014, FCPS adopted the current start times, which moved the high school start time after 8 AM for the first time in 30 years. At the time, the Superintendent and the School Board pledged to revisit middle school start times in the near future with a goal of moving them closer to 8 AM.
Current FCPS Start Times:
- Elementary School – between 8:00 and 9:20 AM
- Middle School – 7:30 AM
- Secondary School – 8:00 AM
- High School – 8:10 AM
- TJHSST – 8:40 AM
Revisiting Middle School Boundaries
In fall 2023, FCPS awarded a contract to Prismatic Services Incorporated to provide analysis and draft options for a later middle school start time. Specifically, Prismatic was asked to answer the following questions:
- Can middle school start times be adjusted without negatively effecting elementary and high school start times?
- Can middle school start times be adjusted so both middle and high schools start at 8 am or later?
- Can these changes be made in a way that is cost-neutral?
Considerations
There are several factors to consider when changing start times.
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Bus Run Times: FCPS tasked Prismatic to prepare options that would minimize the risk of bus delays.
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Waiting for the Bus in the Dark: FCPS tasked Prismatic to prepare options so students would not have to wait in the dark in the morning or be let off the bus in the dark in evening, regardless of the time of year.
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Budget: FCPS tasked Prismatic to prepare options that were budget-neutral or had minimal budget impacts.
Community Feedback
As part of the community outreach, Prismatic and FCPS surveyed parents, students, and staff. Because the focus was on adjusting start times for middle schools, the survey focused on that population. As a result, responses from parents of elementary school and high school students were obtained primarily from middle school parents who also had students in other grades.
Results consistently showed that parents and students preferred start between 8 and 9 am. Middle school staff, on the other hand, had a strong preference for an earlier start time, with the majority preferring a start time before 8 am.
 Initial Options Considered
Prismatic has briefed the School Board several times, most recently in February. Two options were budget-neutral, but the other options involved additional costs.
My Concerns
During Prismatic’s presentations I raised some concerns which still have not been addressed including:
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Boundary Changes: The Prismatic analysis is based on current boundaries, but we’re in the middle of a comprehensive boundary review. I’m concerned that we are adjusting start times using data on bus routes and run times that will soon be outdated. Boundary changes that eliminate attendance islands and move students to schools closer to their homes may make bus routes more efficient, for example. I don’t think we should be making decisions based on outdated data.
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SACC and Childcare: Prismatic stated they have not studied the impact on SACC. I think this is a major shortcoming. Any changes to elementary schools will impact SACC. Options that move elementary school start times to 9:30 or later will greatly increase the demand for morning SACC. I wonder whether the County has the capacity to meet that demand? Prismatic also stated they had not studied the impact on our employees' childcare arrangements. Since then, many teachers have informed the School Board that they depend on the earlier start times for their childcare arrangements, and later start times will compel them to leave FCPS for neighboring school divisions. I believe FCPS should be teacher-centric, so we can attract and retain the best and brightest educators. I'm extremely concerned about the potential loss of talented educators, so I will carefully evaluate any proposals for new start times.
Revised Options
In August, FCPS presented two revised budget-neutral options to the School Board. Again, these options have not been approved by the School Board, but FCPS has published a survey to seek public input on them. Please complete this SURVEY before it closes on Tuesday, September 30.
 In addition to taking the FCPS survey, I invite you to share your feedback with me through email (mdunne@fcps.edu).
Very Respectfully,
 Mateo Dunne, Mount Vernon District Representative
The views contained within this newsletter reflect the views of the individual school board member who is the publisher of this newsletter and may not reflect the views of the Fairfax County School Board.
© Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County, Virginia
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