Northampton High School debating later start time

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) - The Northampton School Department is looking for input from parents as they continue to debate a later start time.

A 2009 survey found more than half of Northampton High School students reported falling asleep in class and because of this some concerned parents want the school to adopt a later start time.

The proposal has been rejected several times by the school committee since 2008, but the issue is up for a vote again on September 13th. The school department hosted a public forum on Tuesday night. Steve Herrell, owner of Herrell's Ice Cream, has been behind the push since he noticed his teenage daughter would have a hard time getting up in the morning.

“It's very difficult for them to get to sleep before about 11pm and they really need to sleep nine hours which will take them to 8am and the Northampton High School starts at 7:30am,” Herrell said.

Herrell says the department should start school an hour to an hour and half later.

The Northampton School Department sent out these surveys in May with three options, two of which will cost the school department more than 100,000 in extra costs to supply more buses. The public forum is Tuesday night, starts at 7pm at the JFK Middle School.