Dear Friends and Colleagues,
I’m writing to inform you that the Montgomery County Board of Education voted this afternoon to change school starting and ending times in order to allow our students—especially those who are teenagers—to get some extra sleep in the morning. The option approved by the Board in a 5-to-3 vote will move the starting and ending times for middle and high schools 20 minutes later. The starting time for elementary schools will move 10 minutes later and the elementary school day will be extended by 10 minutes, with that time being used to extend lunch or recess. This option, which goes into effect next school year, will have no impact on the operating budget and will cause minimal disruption to the operations of our district.
Beginning next school year, the starting and ending times for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) will be:
| LEVEL | TIME | LENGTH OF DAY |
| High School | 7:45 a.m.–2:30 p.m. | 6 hours, 45 minutes |
| Middle School | 8:15 a.m.–3:00 p.m. | 6 hours, 45 minutes |
| Elementary School Tier 1 | 9:00 a.m.–3:25 p.m. | 6 hours, 25 minutes |
| Elementary School Tier 2 | 9:25 a.m.–3:50 p.m. | 6 hours, 25 minutes |
The Board gave this issue a tremendous amount of thought and deliberation, and we heard from thousands of people across the district, including the teachers, administrators, and support staff of MCPS. In the end, we had to balance the desire of some to move start times later with the fiscal realities we are facing. Other options we were considering had an annual cost between $2 million and $6 million. A majority of the Board did not feel they could support any option that would add to our budget at a time when the state and the county are facing fiscal challenges. There was no single option that was going to make everyone happy, but I believe we reached an acceptable compromise.
I know that you will receive additional information about these changes in the coming weeks and that our staff will work closely with our employee associations to minimize the impact this change will have on you and your colleagues.
Thank you for everything you do for our students, our families, and our community.
Sincerely,
Patricia B. O’Neill, president
Montgomery County Board of Education