Beginning in 2023, most DPS schools will have new bell times that align with the Board of Education’s Healthy Start Times (HST) resolution. The resolution calls for middle schools and high schools to start no earlier than 8:20 a.m. each school day to support healthy sleep habits in adolescents. To accommodate this change, elementary, middle and high school bell times need to be modified.
We know you and your family may be impacted by these updated start and end times, and encourage you to take the DPS “Your Voice/Tu Voz” survey, available beginning Monday, May 2. The survey will include questions asking how the new bell times will impact you and your family. DPS will use the information to help prioritize solutions to those impacts.
To discuss these impacts, DPS’ Family and Community Engagement Team will also be holding a series of community meetings in-person and virtually beginning on Tuesday, May 3. You can find information for those meetings on the HST webpage.
Thank you again for your time and patience as we make these changes to support our students’ health and success, and move toward implementing Healthy Start Times beginning in August 2023.