School Board revisits school start, end times, reviews Smarter Balance results

Whether the Edmonds School District should change its school start times — with elementary grades starting earlier and high school students later — was a topic of discussion at the Oct. 14 Edmonds School Board meeting. 

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Greg Schwab presented several studies that showed delayed school start times for high school students are associated with higher grades, reduced sleepiness, and improved attendance and punctuality.

For example, a 2018 Seattle study found that students slept an average of 34 minutes more per night when school start times were moved back an hour. Later start times also improved their biology course grades by 4.5% 

The study said that adolescents tend to prefer to stay up late and wake up late because of biological changes during puberty, not just social habits or screen use. Their circadian rhythm shifts later due to a lengthened internal clock and reduced sensitivity to morning light, while their sleep pressure builds more slowly, allowing them to stay awake longer. 

These biological delays conflict with early school schedules, causing most teens to get less than the recommended eight to 10 hours of sleep, the researchers wrote.

Schwab also highlighted a 2014 study of 9,000 high school students that showed those who had at least eight hours of sleep per night had:

• Fewer incidences of depression and caffeine use
• Decreased risk for substance abuse 
• Increased academic performance in English, math, science, social studies and state tests
• Improved attendance and graduation rates
• A 70% decrease in the number of car crashes

However, Schwab said that research has shown that earlier start times would be better for elementary students. Current research found that early elementary start times had almost no effect on academic performance, absences and suspensions.

“This reflects the 2024 graduation rates of surrounding districts and their high school start times, and you can see that Edmonds [School District] has the earliest start time, not by much over Everett,” Schwab said. “You can see we also have the lowest graduation rate of the districts.”

The current high school start time in the Edmonds School District is 7:20 a.m.

He reminded board members of a District survey completed at the end of the 2024 school year, which gathered responses from more than 7,000 participants, including families, staff and students. The results showed 88% of respondents favored later start times.

Following that survey, Schwab presented two proposals after evaluating several schedule options and considering impacts on transportation, athletics and after-school activities. One had high school starting l at 8:05 a.m. and another at 8:45 a.m. 

In spring 2025, a second survey was distributed to collect feedback on these two options. About 3,000 people responded, and the majority favored the 8:05 a.m. start time.

However, Schwab said many respondents opposed the idea of moving elementary school start times earlier to accommodate the shift. Common concerns included disruptions to child care arrangements, conflicts with after-school programs and sports, and potential inequities related to how schools might be assigned to different start-time tiers.

Superintendent Rebecca Miner said that regardless of the options being considered, there is a shortage of bus drivers in the school district. “Even if we said we’re willing to put a lot more money into this, to buy buses, we can’t get more drivers, and we hang on to transportation by a thread every year,” she said. 

“It’s been very difficult to get traction because it’s so complicated and there’s so many issues to take into account in terms of all the variabilities,” said School Board President Nancy  Katims. She suggested that the District should send out another survey about the start times.

Smarter Balanced Assessment results

District Assessment, Research and Evaluation Manager Alison Shawver and Executive Director of Student Learning Jason Aillaud presented the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) results. It’s a state standardized test that measures students’ proficiency in English language arts (ELA) and math. The test is administered each spring to students in grades 3-8 and in 10th grade to evaluate academic progress and readiness for college and careers.

Shawver said that the District is approaching state-level results for the test, with 95% participation with a 3% increase in all areas. For the Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS) assessment, performance exceeded pre-COVID levels (47% this year vs. 44% pre-COVID).

Other results include:

• Students performed 4% higher than the state average in ELA and 3% higher in math, though scores remain below pre-COVID levels – a trend seen statewide and nationally.

• In science, Edmonds students scored 4% higher than the state and now exceed pre-COVID performance.

• Significant ELA and math gains were seen in grades 8 and 10. Grade 8 increased by 7% and Grade 10 by 5% in ELA, compared to state changes of +2% and –1%, respectively.

• Grade 8 math scores rose 7% each year.

Shawver highlighted that some student populations (Asians and whites) performed above the district’s average in all areas while some are below the average (Blacks, Latinos, Native Americans/Alaskan Natives).

In ELA and math, the gap was about 2% both in the district and statewide, while in science the gap was wider –7% in the district and 6% at the state level – with 54% of tested students achieving levels 3 or 4.

School Board Director Keith Smith said that performance on standardized tests is directly related to the amount of resources at home. “The kids that come from disadvantaged backgrounds tend to do worse on these tests, and those that come from more advantageous backgrounds do better,” he said. “I can explain away things all day, but as a District, we’ve got to do a better job of meeting kids where they’re at when you’ve got 32% in math.”

Director Hawk Cramer said that while participation rates are improving and nearing pre-COVID levels, the widening achievement gaps are largely due to insufficient funding and resources. He asked if Interim Assessment Blocks (IABs) should be required to give real-time feedback of students’ progress.

Miner said that these test scores are only one measure of the district’s progress. She cautioned against letting a single metric define student achievement or educator effectiveness.

“Who among us could go and pass a third-grade reading test in another language right now if we move there?” Miner said. “We’ve cut our district budget by millions of dollars, and we’re increasing our achievement.”

The full presentation and graphs can be viewed on the District’s website.

In other agenda items:

• Board members voted 7-0 to authorize the use of the General Contractor/Construction Manager (GC/CM) method to oversee the replacement of Westgate Elementary School.
• They also voted unanimously to adopt the updates to the Board Norms & Protocols document.
• The Board held a first reading of a replacement educational programs and operations levy that would appear before voters on the Feb. 10, 2026 special election ballot, Miner said the Board will revisit this for consideration at its Oct. 28 meeting.
• Twenty District students were recognized for their artwork from this year’s Edmonds Art Festival, where about 1,100 pieces of student art were displayed at the Frances Anderson Center. District  Communications Specialist Amanda Ralston and Communications Director Curtis Campbell presented the awards.

The full meeting can be viewed here.

The agenda and recording of the meeting can be found on the district’s website.