What would you do if you had an extra 20 minutes to get to school? This is exactly what high-school students all around Montgomery County are facing for the next school year.

On Tuesday, February 10th, MCPS made the decision to change school start times by 20 minutes across the county. The change, which begins at the start of the next school year, means that schools at all levels will begin 20 minutes later than this year.

This issue has been a hot topic for several years and the final decision, a victory for many parent groups – especially those who sought a change in high-school start times – is the least-obtrusive option that MCPS and bell times study groups examined, and the one that institutes the most minor change.

While next year’s start time will not affect this year’s seniors, they still have some thoughts on the issue. Senior Macie Jones feels that starting school later is not a good idea. “I wouldn’t want the school day to start later; I want a longer afternoon,” says Jones.

Fellow senior Yasmine Sosmath feels this change would be great. “I would like the extra twenty minutes of sleep, because going home later wouldn’t really affect anything.” She then goes on to say that many food places do not open until eleven o’clock and that, when you get to some of the places for lunch, you have to wait.

As for returning students who will be affected by the change, it seems that they are not that passionate about the possibility of sleeping in for 20 more minutes.

Sophomore Saatwik Bandyopadhyay says, “It doesn’t really matter to me, but I do like how I get more time to prepare in the morning.”

Freshmen students such as Kayla Pratt don’t really see much change in the policy. “I don’t really mind the change; I mean, after all, it is just twenty minutes,” says Pratt.

Of course, students are not the only people who are affected by the change in start time, as parent and teacher schedules are impacted as well. Here at Paint Branch, teachers have varying thoughts on the issue.

Social studies teacher and varsity coach Ms. Street at first jokingly says, “I get to sleep in twenty minutes more,” but then quickly responds on a serious note saying,

Other school faculty such as security team members and custodial staff are also affected. MSGT Pridgeon, a member of the security team at Paint Branch doesn’t see this type of minor change as something that will affect much.

He says, “I generally get here at 6:20AM. I am an early riser. Even though they are allowing us another twenty minutes, I know the traffic, which will not wait. This just gives me more time to get to school and to get myself settled before the day begins.”

This change actually began years ago when parents and schools began to seriously consider whether children, especially teens, are getting enough sleep.

MCPS isn’t the only county in Maryland to alter start times as schools in other local districts, including neighboring Prince George’s County, have enacted changes in recent years. Additionally, the state of Maryland has several advocacy groups focusing on changing school start times – particularly high-school start times – through community outreach and legislation.

According to ABC News education reporter Tim Tooten, the Maryland House of Delegates has passed “a bill to create a state task force to study possibly changing school hours has passed the House of Delegates, but it may face a high hurdle in the Senate.”

Tooten notes that one of the obstacles that bill faces involves the increased costs associated with changing school start times, which, according to one Anne Arundel County Advocacy group, could “come with a price tag of around $8 million.”

To some, twenty minutes can make a major difference in their lives and their school day, while for others it is nothing more than a minor alteration. Paint Branch Principal Dr. Rogers feels that the change of start times will not really have an impact on her as she already arrives at work early and has a nanny to help with her three school-aged children. The only down side to this is, she notes, that she will have to be here twenty minutes later each day, which means more time away from her kids.