A Schedule That Bucks Science

To the Editor:

We are on the wrong path in Newtown, going in the wrong direction. Our Board of Education, with Margaret Hull and Lisa Schwartz dissenting, voted to bus our middle and high school students together this coming school year. Bus routes will start at 6:45 am. Most elementary students will start school at 9:22 am and leave for home at 3:42 pm. Almost all of Newtown’s children will be going to school at the least opportune time for their age group to learn. Scientific studies have indicated:

Melatonin, the hormone that produces drowsiness, is released into the brain later in the evening for adolescents than for younger children and adults. This partly explains why the average teenager is unable to fall asleep before 11 pm, regardless of parents encouraging them to do so. Elevated melatonin levels continue well into the morning, signaling the body to sleep.

No other age group is as sleep deprived as adolescents. Teenagers need nine to ten hours of sleep to be at their optimal both physically and mentally. Staying up late and waking early, day after day after day, causes “sleep debt” to accumulate, affecting our children’s health, safety, quality of life, and education.

When a person is sleep deprived, his motivation, memory, concentration, ability to control emotional responses, to process information, and to think both critically and creatively are negatively affected. Irritability, depression, stress, drug abuse (stimulants, in particular), car accidents, dropout rates, school truancy, and absenteeism all increase. Think of how you feel when you haven’t slept and consider each of those consequences. Ever feel you can’t “think straight”?

Studies done in Minnesota and California found that students who started school later, and thus slept more, had higher GPAs than students who started school earlier. Participation in sports and extracurriculars also increased with the later start time.

Younger children tend to wake early and fall asleep early. It is their natural sleep cycle. They are often “worn out” in the afternoon.

Throughout the past few weeks, only one board member, Mrs Hull, encouraged discussion on this complex issue which will begin to affect thousands of Newtown families in a few short weeks. On the night of the vote, a palatable comprise was suggested by one board member, and the board was within $49,000 of financing that plan and therefore putting our children’s needs first. However, a break was called, discussion was abruptly ceased, and the towel thrown in. This crucial decision, affecting so many of our children, was made late at night after minimal discussion.

Parents, I urge you to educate yourselves on this critical health and academic issue and demand that our elected officials put our children’s health, safety, and education before other concerns.

Wendy Leon-Gambetta

18 Sawmill Ridge Road, Newtown                                June 25, 2003