Letter: Middle school project support jeopardized by start time change

To the editor:

Echoing sentiment offered by Mr. Mollica’s prior letter in the Times, Barrington schools are facing a number of necessary, required expenditures in the immediate future for proper functioning of the district and the safety and health of students. 

Yet, the school committee continues to pursue a costly start time initiative. One that, while nice to have, doesn’t rise to the level of critical need. When comparing the $68m defined expense for the BMS which guarantees mold/structural resolution versus a cost-vague, non-guaranteed initiative, the latter clearly needs to take a back seat.

Barrington High School’s 2016 Blue Ribbon recognition (a clear sign of poor student performance—sarcasm intended), is not an excuse to avoid innovation in the educational environment. But innovation for its own sake is myopic. It needs to be grounded in common sense and fiscal reality to achieve its goals while not creating new problems. 

The town’s voters are being presented with an 8 percent tax increase for a new BMS — and yet start time initiative still lacks a comprehensive understanding of its costs. So an 8 percent increase now...plus what else when the school committee presents its budget in the spring?

One only need look to East Greenwich’s move to a later start time see budgetary landmines. EG is finding surprise costs for additional unexpected buses and a police detail to manage traffic associated with more children being driven to school. 

The shame is ‘damn the torpedos, full speed ahead’ approach and willful disdain for those against later start times creates questions about the school committee's fiscal prudence and jeopardizes broader support for the middle school bond.

Proponents argue that the science trumps majority opinion. As current Barrington Town Council President June Speakman recently wrote, “…in a democracy the opinions of the few shouldn’t control the fates of the majority.” That holds true, even when the majority chooses a decision that may potentially run counter to its best interest. 

The frightening thing is that the district doesn’t even know — and hasn’t bothered to find out — what the majority prefer. 

Should every decision of the school committee be subject to popular vote? No. But the implementation of a new policy which is designed to influence behavior in the home and outside of school, needs to be presented to the broader community. New start times is a shell game that simply shifts everyone’s day later, with added costs and no guarantees. Why not assess the new cost-neutral homework policy’s impact on sleep first? 

Medical groups have stated positions on start times, yet professional education groups are conspicuously silent. If changing start times were such an educational panacea, there would be greater consensus, and a change would be imposed by state/federal schools authorities.

I doubt I have a significant enough standing for my ‘endorsement’ to mean anything, but if the Barrington community wants to continue its school’s high-achievement while respecting the realities of taxpayers’ ability to pay, I suggest a vote for school committee candidate Gina Pine and town council candidate Geoff Grove.

Jason Leigh

Barrington