School Start Times Under Review
November 3, 2025
by Matt Mullin, President, president@mantua.org
At the October Membership Meeting, Phyllis Payne, co-founder of SLEEP in Fairfax and a Mantua neighbor,
presented on the need to change middle school start times. Middle schools, including Frost, currently start at
7:30 a.m., and as one attendee pointed out, many students wake at 5:30 a.m. to catch buses that take as long as
an hour.
The work to change school start times for middle schoolers began in earnest around 2005 and has been a stated
priority for the school board since at least 2015.
Payne ran through a plethora of benefits for students getting more sleep. Test scores, attendance, and gradua-
tion rates improve. A study of student basketball players saw a 9% improvement in free throw percentages
after adjusting bell schedules. Another study in Wyoming of 16 – 18-year-olds saw a 70% decrease in teen car
accidents from later start times.
The consequences for lost sleep can be dire. For every hour of lost sleep, students experience a 38% increase
in feelings of hopelessness and a 58% increase in suicide attempts.
Unfortunately, the effort to change middle school start times in FCPS has stalled. A consultant hired by FCPS
presented six options for new start times earlier this year, but all were rejected on the basis of cost or opera-
tional challenges. A survey sent to parents this summer included an option that had already drawn opposition
from school principals, as it had elementary schools starting close to 10:00 a.m. A pilot program to test later
start times in a few schools was unanimously approved in March, but cancelled soon after.
The same night as the membership meeting, the School Board voted to delay any changes until boundary
review changes are completed and an option that does not cost anything can be identified. The Superintendent
will present viable options in December, 2026.
In the meantime, Payne suggested neighbors contact their school board members, state legislators, and sign a
petition. Members interested in learning more about the issue can email Payne at phyllis@startschoollater.net.