Pleasantville High School

By Cecilia Levine From Daily Voice

A proposal to push back start times across one New Jersey school district sparked heated debate at a school board meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 12.

Pleasantville Schools Superintendent Marilyn Martinez said during the meeting the plan would move Pleasantville High School’s start time from 7:45 a.m. to 8 a.m., the middle school from 8:05 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., and the elementary schools from 8:50 a.m. to 9 a.m. High school dismissal would be at 2:50 p.m., middle school at 3:20 p.m., and elementary at 3:10 p.m.

Martinez said the later start would “support our high school students in perhaps attending school on time and giving them an opportunity to begin their classes in a way that engages them much more productively.” She said the changes would also reduce congestion between campuses, give families with children in multiple schools more flexibility, and allow time for breakfast and smoother transitions.

Some parents raised concerns about the impact on younger students, work schedules, and childcare. 

One parent said, “Did you take into account the parents who have to be at work in the morning and can’t afford before-care or after-care?”

Martinez said parents could drop students off at 8:50 a.m. and promised to “do everything to ensure a safe place for student arrival and dismissal.” She told parents to contact their school principal if doors weren’t open on time, adding, “If that’s not meeting your needs then my office will respond to your needs.”

Another parent, who has four children in the district, said later start times would mean later lunches and longer days for elementary students. “They’re starting at 9 and they get a 2 o’clock lunch, they get picked up at 4? That’s insane to me and that doesn’t make sense, honestly.” She also expressed concerns about staffing and said the plan was “only considering older kids.”

Pleasantville Public Schools serves four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. The proposal remains under discussion.