The Yarmouth School Committee has approved pushing the school start times back 20 minutes at all Yarmouth schools.
Starting next school year, students at the high and middle schools will start at 8 a.m. and school will get out at 2:45 p.m. Yarmouth Elementary School and Rowe School will start at 8:40 a.m. and let out at 3:30 p.m.
High school students will still start later on Wednesdays, starting school at 9 a.m. and letting out at 2:45 p.m.
According to a notice of the change on the school department’s website, bus schedules will be adjusted to reflect the 20-minute change. Schools will not schedule more morning meetings, practices and rehearsals for student extra curricular activities. There may be opportunities for a limited number of young students to access childcare at one of the schools or a off site location before school starts and the school committee expects to release more information by the end of the school year.
Other Maine school districts, including Biddeford, Saco, Dayton and School Administrative District 51 in Cumberland and North Yarmouth have also implemented later start times. School departments across the country are examining later start times based on recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control that early start times can be harmful to student health.
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